The Israeli High Court of Justice recently dismissed a petition filed by the Association for Civil Rights in Israel (ACRI) against the police’s confiscation of anti-war signs at protests. The petition, filed on April 11, followed a series of protests across Israel demanding a ceasefire, during which police reportedly prevented demonstrators from carrying signs with anti-war messages, including accusations of war crimes against the State of Israel (JURIST).
ACRI argued that anti-war signage does not constitute a criminal offense such as supporting the enemy during wartime or identifying with a terrorist organization. They also contended that the fear of offending public sentiment does not justify limiting such expressions (ACRI).
During proceedings, police acknowledged that no specific guidelines prohibited carrying anti-war signs. They indicated intent to refresh the guidelines for officers accordingly. On May 28, the legal advisor to the police issued a directive clarifying that there are no police guidelines banning protesters from expressing any political position via signs or slogans.
Despite these assurances, ACRI maintained that police continued to confiscate and destroy signs at subsequent protests in cities like Haifa, Tel Aviv, and Jerusalem. They claimed that police also assaulted demonstrators and made arrests without sufficient cause. ACRI called for explicit guidelines allowing anti-war demonstrations and disciplinary action against officers violating these guidelines (High Court Decision).
The High Court ultimately ruled that the primary police guidelines confirm no prohibition against expressing political views and dismissed the petition. The court advised that any misconduct by police should be reported to the Police Internal Unit (PIU).