The High Court of Justice ruled on Thursday that soccer fans can wear anti-police shirts to matches and that Israel Police cannot prevent fans from wearing shirts bearing such messages, Israeli media reported.
The court's ruling came after hearing a petition by Hapoel Tel Aviv fans, who will be allowed to arrive at games wearing shirts bearing anti-police illustrations as soon as Saturday.
Judges convened and ruled that police would not be able to prevent fans from entering the stadiums wearing shirts protesting them. Judges also demanded that police explain why they didn't initially stop preventing fans from entering because of critical content on clothing, and that they produce a written explanation by January 4, according to N12.
The interim order from the judges to the police is to immediately end the ban on fans entering games with their shirts on, which will stand until the entire procedure is completed, the report added.
One of the initial petitions previously reported saw four Hapoel Tel Aviv supporters argue that police have implemented a policy demanding that clothing bearing anti-police illustrations be removed, as well as humiliating searches and denial of entry to stadiums.
One of the shirts that went viral in the media depicted an illustration of symbols associated with the Israel Police, Maccabi Tel Aviv, and the outlawed Kach movement, all crossed out with a diagonal line, and referring to all three as "scum."
Israel Police's responses to court decision
The police claimed that the shirts were inciting violence and that they responded proportionately, Maariv reported.
Israel Police said that they "respect the High Court's decision and will work to implement it." Police also said in their response to the court that the petition's basis encourages the general public to disobey police, "thereby interfering in their work and raising real concerns about serious disturbances and harm to public peace.
"The court's decision is binding on all parties, but it cannot justify the actions of soccer fans, who choose to come to matches and consciously continue to insult the police out of a desire to create disorder."
Sarah Ben-Nun, Ofir Sa'ar, and Uri Sela contributed to this report.