Hevron district police detained nationalist activist Attorney Itamar Ben-Gvir on Wednesday morning, after he stood at the stairway adjacent to Hazon David synagogue located in a part of Kiryat Arba near Hevron, in Judea.
Police officers who approached Ben-Gvir demanded that he evacuate the area. In response, Ben-Gvir explained to them that the police allow residents to use the stairs leading to the Givat Ha’avot neighborhood in Kiryat Arba near Hevron.
He informed the officers that by ordering him to evacuate the site they are open to a civil lawsuit, at which point one of the officers said “you’re threatening us?,” and proceeded to detain the attorney for investigation.
In investigation Ben-Gvir made clear that he intends to submit a lawsuit, and said the police policy was illegal. At the end of investigation he was asked to sign a document obligating him not to go near the stairs, at which point he refused and asked to be brought to court.
Eventually a supervising officer decided to release him without obligating him to sign onto the conditions forbidding him from approaching the stairs.
“It is very sad that instead of fighting against terror attacks the Hevron police harass Jews,” said Ben-Gvir.
“It is even sadder that the right hand of the police doesn’t know what the left hand is doing; the officers asked me to leave the stairways leading to my home, when officers in the police actually encourage the use of these steps.”
Ben-Gvir’s neighbor in Kiryat Arba, Lehava director Bentzi Gopshtain, commented on the incident on Facebook, writing “blessings to my dear neighbor Attorney Itamar Ben-Gvir over how the Israel police are treating him to money for the lawsuit…they found the wrong person to mess with.”
To view video in Hebrew from Ben-Gvir’s interaction with the police and subsequent detention, click the image below.
