The commission of inquiry into the Meron disaster, a stampede that left 45 dead and 150 wounded and is one of the deadliest civil incidents in Israeli history, sent legal warning letters to 18 individuals who played a role in the disaster. One letter was notable missing that should have been addressed to the High Court.
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For years, no one wanted to get involved with this hot potato known as Mt. Meron, where tens, if not hundreds of thousands gather every year on Lag Ba'Omer for the annual pilgrimage to the tomb of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai. Interests, businessmen, people with power, strong forces that no one dared stand against. A disaster occurred almost every year, and each time it was ignored completely.
There were unsuccessful attempts to bring control to the sacred site. In 2014, Yair Lapid, who was finance minister at the time, formulated an outline that would transfer the management of the site from Haredi groups to the state.
During a High Court hearing, the state stressed that the move was for the benefit of the visitors and that the change was necessary for the proper management of Mt. Meron. It also stressed that the government did not intend to change the nature of the place or harm its sanctity.
The High Court had the opportunity to free the average ultra-Orthodox visitor from the businessmen who only care about their share, make the site safer, and prevent the visitors from paying the price for the defects.
Mt. Meron was not fit to receive the tens of thousands of pilgrims, there was never a doubt about that. The writing was on the wall, in bold. A tragedy would occur unless someone intervened, and it did.
And yet the High Court overturned the government's decision to take charge of the site and called for other alternatives to be examined.
And the average person paid the price. The ultra-Orthodox citizens, at the bottom of the food chain. Of the 18 officials who were reprimanded, only one resigned. The rest did not hang up the hat. Not the police commissioner and not the director of the National Center For Development of the Holy Places, who supervised this year's Lag Ba'Omer festivities as well.
Warning letters make dramatic headlines, but the only person who wanted to bring order to Mt. Meron ahead of time cannot issue a letter.
Had the High Court made the right decision at the right time, Mt. Meron would have been brought under control and proper supervision and serve the ultra-Orthodox visitors who want to worship at the site and be able to return home at the end of the day.
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