An indictment was handed down Wednesday against five youths who are accused of “endangering the welfare of the public” and placing drivers in danger of fatal accidents.
The five, three over the age of 16 and the two others minors, are charged with placing tires on the road to slow traffic in protest over the impending demolition of the Ayelet Hashachar synagogue in Givat Ze'ev.
Public officials have rallied behind the synagogue and called to save it, stating that to destroy a Jewish house of worship sends the wrong message to Israelis over the character of the Jewish state.
Various compromises have been proposed, such as building a temporary synagogue on state land near the current structure, but that still will not obviate the tragedy of demolition of a synagogue in the Land of Israel, said synagogue supporters.
The Honenu organization is representing the youths. The two minors have been released, but the three adults are still in jail.
Honenu said in a statement that the imprisonment is reminiscent of one of the ways the government related to detainees during the disengagement from Gaza in 2005 – when civil protest was criminalized, causing untold heartache and legal problems for thousands.
“It's unbelievable that the justice system would try to impose on a group of kids protesting the demolition of a synagogue a charge like this, which carries a 20 year jail sentence,” said Honenu.
“It appears that the authorities have lost sight of the balance between criminal behavior and civil disobedience," Honenu added. "If college students who block roads as they protest tuition increases were to be charged with such crimes there would be a huge outcry."