JERUSALEM – In a controversial operation, Israeli police raided a private residence in Jerusalem’s Old City searching for lambs allegedly hidden for use in religious sacrifices. Authorities suspected the home was being used as a shelter for animals intended for ritual sacrifice by members of the Chozrim La’Har (חוזרים להר/Returning to the Mountain) movement, an organization advocating for the restoration of Biblically mandated practices on the Temple Mount.
During the search, officers searched a prayer hall, including inspecting inside the ark and behind a Torah scroll. Residents claim police searched without presenting a warrant.
Following the search, the Jerusalem District Court overturned a lower court ruling, releasing without conditions several Chozrim La’Har activists who were arrested yesterday with a lamb. The police attempted to charge the activists with “intentionally spreading disease” after a veterinary examination revealed the animal was ill.
Attorney Nati Rom, representing the activists on behalf of the Honenu organization, praised the District Court’s decision, stating it “restored sanity” by recognizing there was no legal justification for detaining his clients. It should be emphasized that it is legal to own a lamb or goat in Jerusalem
The Chozrim La’Har movement criticized police actions in a statement to TPS news agency: “The paranoia of the Jerusalem police is causing them to lose control, conducting pointless searches while disturbing citizens. It would be better for police to focus on maintaining public order and protecting against threats while preserving freedom of Jewish religious worship.”
The movement seeks to renew Temple-era practices, including Passover sacrifices and regular ritual offerings on the Temple Mount, the site of the Jewish Temples and the holiest site in Judaism. Despite Israeli law mandating freedom of religion at the site, Jews are severely restricted in their visitations. They are prohibited from bringing sacred objects, such as Torah scrolls or tallit and tefillin, into the site. Christians are also banned from praying, and Muslims have a monopoly on open prayer.
