Baruch Marzel
Baruch MarzelHadas Parush/Flash 90

After a Muslim Arab provoked the confrontation in Judea's Hevron on Saturday night during the Tisha B'Av fast day mourning the destruction of the First and Second Temples, it was nationalist activist Baruch Marzel whom police arrested on Thursday, before being ordered to release him.

In the incident, the Arab provocateur broadcast the Muslim call to prayer at the Cave of Machpelah although it was not Muslim prayer time, so as to interfere in the reading of Eicha (Lamentations) on site. Dozens of complaints to the police were reportedly ignored, and the Jews took action and locked the man in the room he was in. At this point, the police showed up to forcibly disperse the Jews with tear gas.

The police request to hold Marzel - who just missed out on being an MK in the last elections with Otzma Yehudit - on a 5,000 shekel (over $1,300) bail for his involvement in the incident was rejected by the Jerusalem Magistrate's Court. Instead, the judge had him released on guarantee only.

Writing on Facebook, Marzel explained that on Thursday morning at the Cave of Machpelah "right after prayers, officers came up to me and arrested me; I tried to ask that they let me finish my Torah study that is my fixed morning practice for many years, but they didn't agree to wait even one second and arrested me."

He was taken to court where police asked that he only be released after signing a guarantee and depositing 5,000 shekels as a condition for his release.

However, the judge threw out the police request, and said that it would be enough for Marzel to sign on a guarantee and obligate himself to appear for a court discussion.

The judge added that from her experience Marzel's word was trustworthy and he would arrive for the court case.

Responding to his arrest, the activist said, "the legal system and the police continue to be strong against Jews and weak against the enemy; instead of dealing with terror and arresting the terrorists who riot in Hevron, the Temple Mount and Jerusalem, the police conduct unnecessary arrests."

"No one, in no way, will break our strong and eternal faith! We will continue to act for the nation of Israel, for the land of Israel and for the Torah of Israel!," emphasized Marzel.