Former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu testified on Thursday that he bears no responsibility for the safety gaps that led to a deadly stampede that killed 45 people last year.
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The incident, which was the worst civilian disaster in the country's history, took place on Mount Meron in northern Israel during a Jewish festival in April 2021. Around 100,000 worshipers, mostly ultra-Orthodox Jews, attended festivities despite coronavirus regulations limiting outdoor assemblies to 500 people, and in spite of longstanding warnings about the safety of the site.
"I didn't deal with safety," Netanyahu testified to an independent commission investigating the tragedy, saying he only stepped in because of the coronavirus pandemic. As for other safety gaps or measures, he said, "The prime minister doesn't deal with that."
"I did more than my predecessors to deal with the issues," Netanyahu said, when pressed about warnings there were gaps in safety regulations before the event.
