Jerusalem Deputy Mayor Tzachi Brim submitted a petition to the Supreme Court on Wednesday on behalf of dozens of Chareidi residents demanding that Israel Police immediately stop its use of skunk spray in residential neighborhoods.

The petition states that over the past year, skunk spray has been used frequently and aggressively in crowded Chareidi neighborhoods, even in cases where there was no unusual violence by demonstrators. The spray has infiltrated into homes, porches, courtyards, and playgrounds, harming residents who are not involved in the protests.

Addendums to the petition attest to the fact that skunk spray has never been tested by the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Environmental Protection, Israel’s Standards Institute, or any other professional authority. The petition also states that Israel is the only country in the world that uses liquid spray against civilians.

According to a study by the Hebrew University’s Institute of Chemistry, cited in the petition, the spray contains substances that may cause respiratory irritation, nausea, eye redness, and in some cases even nerve damage, especially in children, women, and the elderly.

The petitioners noted a long list of incidents in recent months in Chareidi neighborhoods, including at Binyanei HaUma, Mekor Baruch, and other areas, “without justification and contrary to police regulations.”

The petition also includes an official request from the Jerusalem Municipality’s legal advisor to the police demanding information about skunk spray and its safety record. According to the petition, the police did not respond to the request.

The petitioners are demanding that the court issue an interim order banning police use of skunk spray until official and thorough safety evaluations are carried out and declare that the current use of the spray in residential areas is “unreasonable, disproportionate, and dangerous to the public.”

The petition was filed to the Supreme Court by the law offices of Yair Nehorai and Eitan Lehman.

(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)