The sign was confiscated from Ben-Gvir by Jerusalem policemen during a protest rally outside the Knesset during a critical disengagement vote a year ago. Ben-Gvir asked the Magistrates Court to order the police to return his sign, and the police asked for a counter-order rendering the sign officially impounded.
The State representatives said at the hearing that they had no intention of charging Ben-Gvir, but they did not want the sign returned because it represented an "insult of a public servant." The Court ordered the sign returned - and the State appealed to the District Court.
This morning, District Court Judge Moshe Gal ordered the sign returned, and ruled that the caption on the sign, "even if it is grave and severe, is still part of freedom of expression in a democratic regime." The Prosecution informed the judge that it would appeal the decision to the Supreme Court, but then retracted the idea.
Ben-Gvir told reporters afterwards, "I am happy to give lessons on freedom of speech to the Jerusalem Prosecutor's Office. Unfortunately, they have not internalized that which every law student learns in his first year: Freedom of expression applies even to that which is infuriating."
Ben-Gvir told Arutz-7 that the Attorney-General's office was helping to run the case against him: "When the judge told the State's attorney that this was a clear issue of freedom of speech, the attorney said that Deputy Attorney-General Shai Nitzan had instructed him not to drop the case, but rather to keep up the fight against Ben-Gvir."
Asked how he occupies himself these days, Ben-Gvir said, "I am trying to serve the People of Israel. Right now, for instance, I am about to leave for the large 'We Won't Forget, Won't Forgive' gathering in Jerusalem... I am currently involved in seven court cases that I filed against the authorities, and five cases pending against me."
Asked for examples, he said that the former group includes his charges against the police of "false arrest" when he was incarcerated in Tel Aviv for having sent a threatening message - "and only five days later did they bother releasing me when they realized that it wasn't I who had sent the message." The cases against him include charges of praying at one of the Temple Mount gates. Ben-Gvir has frequently defended himself, and others, in court on charges of this nature - often successfully.
The State representatives said at the hearing that they had no intention of charging Ben-Gvir, but they did not want the sign returned because it represented an "insult of a public servant." The Court ordered the sign returned - and the State appealed to the District Court.
This morning, District Court Judge Moshe Gal ordered the sign returned, and ruled that the caption on the sign, "even if it is grave and severe, is still part of freedom of expression in a democratic regime." The Prosecution informed the judge that it would appeal the decision to the Supreme Court, but then retracted the idea.
Ben-Gvir told reporters afterwards, "I am happy to give lessons on freedom of speech to the Jerusalem Prosecutor's Office. Unfortunately, they have not internalized that which every law student learns in his first year: Freedom of expression applies even to that which is infuriating."
Ben-Gvir told Arutz-7 that the Attorney-General's office was helping to run the case against him: "When the judge told the State's attorney that this was a clear issue of freedom of speech, the attorney said that Deputy Attorney-General Shai Nitzan had instructed him not to drop the case, but rather to keep up the fight against Ben-Gvir."
Asked how he occupies himself these days, Ben-Gvir said, "I am trying to serve the People of Israel. Right now, for instance, I am about to leave for the large 'We Won't Forget, Won't Forgive' gathering in Jerusalem... I am currently involved in seven court cases that I filed against the authorities, and five cases pending against me."
Asked for examples, he said that the former group includes his charges against the police of "false arrest" when he was incarcerated in Tel Aviv for having sent a threatening message - "and only five days later did they bother releasing me when they realized that it wasn't I who had sent the message." The cases against him include charges of praying at one of the Temple Mount gates. Ben-Gvir has frequently defended himself, and others, in court on charges of this nature - often successfully.