Jerusalem District Commander, Chief Avshalom Peled, signed an administrative order today (Wednesday) prohibiting the celebration of the righteous Rabbi Yitzhak Gavra zt"l - which was planned to take place on Sunday and Monday in the area of Moshav Ajur - a moshav located south of Beit Shemesh.
In recent months, there has been extensive staff work with the organizers, during which they signed conditions for holding the event.
However, according to the police statement, the organizers did not meet the conditions set, among other things, by experts on behalf of the organizers themselves, and critical, professional and safety gaps arose in relation to the conditions set.
The event organizers did not present regulated fencing and traffic plans, did not provide a solution for the lighting of the pedestrian and equestrian routes, and additional gaps arose regarding crowd management at the entrance to Zion - all of this at an event that, according to the organizers' estimates, was expected to attract over 20,000 participants.
""In the balance between freedom of worship and the sacred protection of the safety, body, and security of those attending the event, the public interest in preserving human life absolutely outweighed, given the real fear of harm to life," the police say.
In light of this, Jerusalem District Commander Major Avshalom Peled signed an order not to hold the assembly:
The order does not apply only to residents of the moshav and nearby settlements.
""The Israel Police emphasizes that police officers will be deployed on the roads and in the Zion area, and will act with all means and powers according to the law, in order to prevent gatherings and the holding of the event in violation of the order," the police statement said. "The Israel Police calls on the public to obey the instructions, not to reach the roads leading to the moshav and not to endanger their lives and the lives of their loved ones.
The police emphasized: "As long as the organizers fully comply with the conditions and present the appropriate permits on a schedule that will allow for appropriate operational preparation, a change to the order will be considered - but until then, public safety and security are paramount.".
