Despite the risk and in contrast with the position of the Israel Police and the organizers of Lag B'Omer festivities, Israel Hayom has learned that members of the Karlin-Stolin Haredi sect are pressuring law enforcement to allow 4,000 participants to attend events at Mount Meron's Bnei Akiva compound this year.
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Dozens of people were crushed to death in a stampede that broke out during Lag B'Omer celebrations at Mount Meron last May. Tens of thousands of mostly ultra-Orthodox worshippers had gathered at the site.
Sect members say the decision to limit participation to 1,500 people is unnecessary and quoted an external engineer by the name of Eli Frankel as saying the attendance of 4,000 people would not endanger lives.
Frankel was previously questioned over his approval of the holding of Shavuot prayers at a synagogue in Jerusalem's Givat Ze'ev neighborhood last year during which 2 people died and 132 were injured when a bleacher collapsed. While Frankel was questioned over his involvement, the judge in the case ultimately concluded he did not bear responsibility for the tragedy.
To avoid a repeat of the Mount Meron disaster at this year's Lag B'Omer celebrations, participants will be transported to the site on organized shuttles. Nevertheless, officials remain concerned some radicals will try to ascend the mount on their own. Efforts are underway to reach agreements with some of these radical Haredi groups to prevent such provocations.
Israel Hayom has learned that within the framework of these talks, the radical groups have demanded police, who they say do not belong at the site as representatives of the Zionist regime, stay off the mountain. The sects have argued God would protect them instead.
Meanwhile, the Knesset Finance Committee chaired by Yisrael Beytenu MK Alex Kushnir on Monday approved the transfer of compensation of 500,000 shekels (around $145,000) in compensation for each of the families of the victims of the Mount Meron stampede. In total, 22.5 million shekels (around $6.5 million) will be allotted to the victims' families.
In a statement, the Forum for the Bereaved Families of Victims of the Meron Disaster said: "The issue of the Meron disaster is a painful one that must be above every political consideration. We thank the lawmakers who worked on the issue through rare work between the coalition and the opposition.
"It would have been better had the initial assistance for the families been carried out immediately after the disaster, but better late than never."
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