Rightists arrested over Pesach sacrifice

Noam Federman, Yehuda Glick detained on suspicion of planning to sacrifice young goats near Temple Mount. 'It's a shame and a disgrace that the police are trying to stop Jews from going up to the Temple Mount and offering a sacrifice,' Federman tells Ynet
Shmulik Grossman

Right-wing activists Yehuda Glick and Noam Federman were arrested Sunday on suspicion of planning to sacrifice young goats near the Temple Mount.

 

Glick was detained near Jaffa Gate in Jerusalem's Old City and was taken in for questioning by the police. The young goat found in his possession was handed over to the Wildlife Supervision Department in the Agriculture Ministry. Federman was detained for questioning on suspicion of aiding Glick, and was later released.

 

Shortly afterwards, Federman was arrested once again near Dung Gate in possession of another young goat.

 

Before the second time he was detained, Federman told Ynet that the police had released him because they thought a sacrifice could be only be offered with a sheep.

 

"I come here to observe the holiday mitzvot. It's a shame and a disgrace that the police are trying to stop Jews from going up to the Temple Mount and offering a sacrifice for the Passover holiday," he said.

 

The police suspected that the two were planning to take the young goat from the Hurva synagogue towards the Temple Mount and create a provocation. A group of girls was also said to be making its way to the Mount with another young goat.

 

Meanwhile Monday, the police completed their preparations for the holidays of Passover and Easter. Commander Amnon Alkaly, head of the operations department, told Ynet that in light of the recent tensions on several fronts, the police, Border Guard fighters and Civil Guard volunteers have been instructed to deploy in large forces until the children return to school after the holiday.

 

"We have many events planned for the holiday and we are deploying on the ground with tens of thousands of policemen," Alkaly said. "The goal is to have the police present everywhere, including mounted police, the aerial unit and undercover units."