Prime Minister Naftali Bennett on Wednesday urged worshippers to heed police instructions on Lag B'Omer, as concerns rose that the hundreds of thousands of Haredim expected to attend the traditional festivities on Mount Meron would flout the safety measures introduced in the wake of last year's tragedy.
Follow Israel Hayom on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram
Disaster struck the main celebration honoring Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai, a 2nd-century sage and mystic who is buried in northern Israel, on April 30, 2021, when a ramp on the festivities' compound collapsed. The chaos that ensued left 45 people dead and 150 injured in what is Israel's largest civil disaster to date.
Ahead of this year's festival, the area was redivided to better suit visitors, while police forces and Magen David Adom emergency services are expected to show massive presence on the ground to ensure public order and safety.
Still, some rabbis have called on their followers to ignore directives and arrive at the site at all cost.
The police arrested several men associated with an extremist ultra-Orthodox sect on Tuesday evening on suspicion of attempting to sabotage infrastructure on Mount Meron ahead of Lag B'Omer celebrations.
The group was intercepted near the community of Kadarim in northern Israel. A police source said that they were in possession of four bags full of wire-cutters, utility knives, hammers, eggs filled with paint, and gloves, and most likely meant to vandalize the electrical system supporting the telecom equipment on the mount.
"Beyond causing deep mental anguish to celebrants, any damage done to infrastructure on Mount Meron could pose a real danger to those who wish to visit the site," the police said in a statement.
Another police official told Israel Hayom that there was concrete evidence that radical Haredi sects were planning on disrupting Wednesday's festival.
Addressing the issue on Wednesday morning, Bennett said, "The festival on Mount Meron expresses the love of Israel, joy and coming together for a holy event. The Israeli government has spared no effort to ensure participants' safety. I urge the public to follow directives as published."
Subscribe to Israel Hayom's daily newsletter and never miss our top stories!
