JERUSALEM – A police spokesman announced this morning that three Israelis in their early twenties were detained this morning after they tried to smuggle an Israeli flag onto the Temple Mount, allegedly with the intent of waiving it there.

One tried to smuggle it in his underwear, the other two were caught with the flag in their bags. The three were taken for questioning at a nearby police station. This allegedly consists of a breach of the status-quo on the Temple Mount.

On October 14, 2013, thirteen Israelis were dragged out and arrested for praying and waving an Israeli flag on the Temple Mount.

In April, on Israel’s Independence Day, a group of Israelis tried to enter the Temple Mount and were subjected to what they described as a humiliating search to expose hidden Israeli flags. “We were separated from the tourists who entered the Temple Mount freely and our ID cards were taken for inspection” Eita? Kleinman told the Kol Yehudi. This is routine, but what happened next is outstanding. “A police officer asked us to enter a search room. He apologized, explaining that he had to physically search us for a flag. We were shocked; we removed our upper garments and were searched as if we were dangerous criminals.” After the search they were allowed to enter the Mount, accompanied by members of the Wakf who shouted at them.

There is no similar prohibition for Muslims to pray or fly any kind of flag on the Temple Mount.

By Aryeh Savir

Tazpit News Agency