Police say they arrested 21 people who are suspected of trying to bring a sacrificial goat up to the Temple Mount in Jerusalem.
On Friday, “a group of rioters that arrived at one of the entrances tried to break through the gate with the goal of bringing a baby goat onto the grounds of the Mount, thereby disrupting public order,” police say.
They were nabbed before they could perform a ritual sacrifice atop the flashpoint site in honor of Pesach Sheni, or Second Passover, which is marked a month after Passover.
In ancient times, the holiday provided another chance for those who had not brought the Passover sacrifice to the Temple to fulfill the religious commandment.
The detainees were brought to the Jerusalem Magistrate’s Court, where police requested to extend their detention, but a judge released them.
Police filed an appeal against the decision today, but the ruling to free the suspects was upheld, according to police’s statement.
Help us report truthfully on social media
As a multimedia journalist, my job is to take the quality, fact-based journalism produced by The Times of Israel newsroom and make it accessible across every platform — from Instagram posts to podcasts to short-form videos.
This is how many, especially young people, consume news these days. But misinformation is rampant on social media. Our team at ToI produces accurate, responsible short-form reporting on Israel and the Jewish world.
If you believe in the importance of factual social media journalism, please consider joining our reader support group, The Times of Israel Community. Your financial support is essential to sustain responsible multimedia reporting.
— Gabriella Jacobs, multimedia journalist
Support our work
Support our work
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this
You're a dedicated reader
We’re really pleased that you’ve read X Times of Israel articles in the past month.
That’s why we started the Times of Israel - to provide discerning readers like you with must-read coverage of Israel and the Jewish world.
So now we have a request. Unlike other news outlets, we haven’t put up a paywall. But as the journalism we do is costly, we invite readers for whom The Times of Israel has become important to help support our work by joining The Times of Israel Community.
For as little as $6 a month you can help support our quality journalism while enjoying The Times of Israel AD-FREE, as well as accessing exclusive content available only to Times of Israel Community members.
Thank you,
David Horovitz, Founding Editor of The Times of Israel
Join Our Community
Join Our Community
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this
From the Liveblog of
Sunday, May 3, 2026
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on Google
