Amid fears of rocket fire from Hezbollah in Lebanon, Israeli authorities have scrapped plans for the annual Lag B'Omer pilgrimage to Mount Meron in the Galilee region. Instead, up to 30,000 worshippers are anticipated to congregate at the Shimon HaTzadik tomb in the Palestinian neighborhood of Sheikh Jarrah in East Jerusalem to mark the holiday, a decision that has drawn criticism as a potential catalyst for heightened tensions.

Critics have voiced concerns that holding the alternative event in Sheikh Jarrah, a frequent flashpoint for clashes between Palestinians and Israeli security forces, could ignite further unrest. Ir Amim, a Palestinian organization, stated, "For the authorities to sponsor this event in a context in which they also promote the eviction and displacement of Palestinians from Sheikh Jarrah is not a gesture for diversity but an attempt to Israelize east Jerusalem."

The Jerusalem Affairs and Heritage Ministry, under the leadership of Meir Porush from the United Torah Judaism party, is spearheading the organization of the east Jerusalem event, which is also responsible for the annual Meron gathering. Typically, Mount Meron, believed to be the burial site of the second-century sage Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, draws over 100,000 pilgrims during Lag B'Omer.

Shmuel Karmasky, a ministry spokesperson, dismissed apprehensions, remarking, "We're not ashamed of anything, developing the Shimon HaTzadik gravesite is a national priority headed by the ministry. It's not meant to provoke, and we have good ties with community leaders in the neighborhood. We don't expect disturbances." An invitation sent by the ministry mentioned that Chief Sephardic Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef would attend the Sheikh Jarrah event.

Of course, the picture was different last night, with hundreds of police barricading entrance and exit into the neighborhood as Jewish worshipers celebrated separate from the local community in a Sheikh Jarrah that seems to have underwent a drastic transformation for the holiday pic.twitter.com/wSUWmWKfXd

— Charlie (@cbsu03) May 26, 2024

 Concurrently, private donors have sponsored an alternative mass gathering in Beit Shemesh, where approximately 30,000 revelers are anticipated to partake in a torch-lighting ceremony led by Rabbi Elimelech Biderman.

Some voices advocate prioritizing safety over ritual observance. "No one should get hurt to fulfill this custom, no matter how significant or spiritually powerful it is," said Moshe Levy, a father of 10 from the West Bank settlement of Shiloh, who plans to celebrate Lag B'Omer locally this year.

For many secular and national religious Jews, Lag B'Omer holds relatively minor significance, with children and families enjoying bonfires on the eve, marking the 33rd day of the Omer – the 49 days separating Passover from Shavuot. However, the occasion carries major importance for Haredi Jews, as the Talmud links it to a plague that claimed thousands of Rabbi Akiva's students, one of the greatest early rabbinical figures executed by the Romans for teaching the Torah. The plague purportedly ended on Lag B'Omer.

Apprehensions persist that numerous pilgrims may defy the ban on attending the pilgrimage in Meron and Tiberias, whose municipality also prohibited Lag B'Omer celebrations at Rabbi Akiva's gravesite due to safety concerns. On May 25, the annual Lag B'Omer festivities did occur, but on a significantly scaled-down level at Mount Meron, with only 30 people permitted entry at any given time.

Video: Police spokesperson

The relocation decision arrives as authorities grapple with the aftermath of the 2021 Meron crowd crush tragedy that claimed 45 lives. A planned memorial event for the victims in Jerusalem has been canceled due to a lack of funding from the Finance Ministry, drawing condemnation from bereaved families.

Boaz Strakovsky, whose son Elhanan perished in the 2021 stampede, decried the cancellation as an "insult" to victims' families. "If there's money for security at the alternative Lag B'Omer event in Jerusalem, why not for the commemoration?" he told The Times of Israel, adding that organizing an alternative celebration in Jerusalem "makes it even more incomprehensible."

David Stav, an Orthodox rabbi chairing the Tzohar rabbinical group, said the decision to cancel the Jerusalem memorial was "very difficult to understand." However, Stav affirmed holding a Lag B'Omer event in Sheikh Jarrah is "perfectly legitimate."

The Jerusalem Affairs and Heritage Ministry's budget included an NIS 11 million allocation for the canceled Meron event. Karmasky stated that almost the entire Meron budget aimed to fund a police operation preventing pilgrims from reaching the site. The event at Shimon HaTzadik's grave will cost approximately NIS 2 million to produce, according to Karmasky.

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Some 25 bereaved families gathered at the Western Wall in Jerusalem Thursday to pray for the loved ones they lost in the Meron stampede 30 days earlier.

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"A month after the national tragedy, we are appalled to find out that instead of investigating the matter in order to prevent any future such disaster, a system is being created whose main function is to cover up the biggest civil disaster in the history of the state," said Rabbi Nachman Meir Elchadad, who lost his sons Yosef David and Moshe Mordechai in Meron.

"Our conscience will not be eased until we have done everything to ensure that other people's worlds will not be shattered like ours was on the day of the tragedy," he said. Elchadad called on politicians "to put aside their personal interests" and establish a state commission of inquiry into the stampede that took the lives of 45 people, including children as young as nine.

Housing Minister Yakov Litzman hosted the representatives of the bereaved families, who asked him for support in the process of launching an inquiry. Yisrael Diskind, who lost his younger brother Simcha Bunim, shared with Litzman the pain caused to the families by what he described as cover-up attempts, and asked the housing minister to make sure the matter was not swept under the rug.

Litzman vowed full support for the establishment of a thorough, transparent and non-biased commission.

"We will work together with the body that will be assigned the responsibility of investigating this terrible tragedy" and leave no stone unturned in the pursuit of truth and making sure that such an event never happens at this holy site again, Litzman said.

He also spoke in favor of the government proposal to compensate the families of the victims.

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Israel's National Insurance Institute is proposing compensation in the amount of 100,000 shekels ($30,800) for each of the families who lost loved ones in the Lag B'Omer stampede at Mount Meron. A total of 45 participants in the festivities, including children as young as nine, were killed.

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The investigation into the Mount Meron disaster is still underway, and a government commission of inquiry has not yet been formed.

At the request of the Knesset Finance Committee, which is chaired by MK Moshe Gafni of the ultra-Orthodox United Torah Judaism party, National Insurance Institute Director General Meir Spiegel sent Gafni a draft version of the proposal for compensation.

The National Insurance Institute is suggesting that families who lost one relative be paid 100,000 shekels, and families who lost more than one loved one be paid 130,000 ($40,000) per victim. In addition, the NII is offering further compensation for relatives, depending on the number of family members. The additional payments would apply to victims' children age 20 and under, and widows age 67 and younger.

The NII explains in the letter to Gafni that the monetary compensation would be awarded in addition to existing NII rights or compensatory damages ruled by a court.

The document also addresses compensation for people left disabled by injuries sustained in the stampede. The NII is calling on the government to recognize the Mount Meron incident as a "national disaster," which would entitle the victims to assistance from the government.

The NII did not pull the suggested framework for compensation out of thin air. The letter points to existing compensatory arrangements that were based on a public commission established to investigate the collapse of the Versailles event venue in Jerusalem 20 years ago, in which 23 guests fell to their deaths when the upper floor of the building collapsed, and 380 more were left injured.

Following the Versailles affair, the Knesset passed a law to help survivors and bereaved families that included the formation of a dedicated committee charged with handling the injured and paying out compensation.

Spiegel pointed out that in the case of Versailles, the compensation to the families came entirely from the government, and was disbursed through the NII.

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The Knesset Arrangement Committee, headed by MK Karin Elharar (Yesh Atid), was the site of a fraught discussion on Monday over the question of establishing a government commission of inquiry to probe the Mount Meron stampede on Lag B'Omer, which resulted in the deaths of dozens of participants in the annual event.

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Elharer ordered two MKs – Orit Struck and Simcha Rotman – to leave the room, claiming that they were interfering in the discussion. Later, MK Itamar Ben-Gvir was also sent out, and accused Elharer of "exploiting her role in order to silence people."

In a committee vote, 19 MKs voted in favor of a bill by MK Miki Levy (Yesh Atid) to establish a commission of inquiry into the Lag B'Omer events at Mount Meron, while 13 MKs voted against it. When Elharrar announced that the vote would proceed, MKs from the right-wing bloc left the room.

Despite the opposition from representatives of the Likud, Shas, United Torah Judaism, and Religious Zionist parties, Levy's bill to establishment a commission of inquiry was passed in committee and given an exemption from the formal presentation process.

Nearly a month after the civilian disaster that claimed the lives of their loved ones, families of the Meron victims broke silence on Monday and published an open letter signed "Forum of the Bereaved Families of the Meron Holy Ones" in which they demanded an independent  government commission of inquiry.

In the letter, sent to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the families write, "To our great sorrow, in recent days voices have emerged that are seeking a committee of inquiry that is not an independent, governmental one. We want to say aloud, unequivocally, and unmistakably – speaking as one family – that we demand an independent commission of inquiry. We believe that only a government commission of inquiry will complete the investigation fully."

After the letter was made public, associates of Haredi MKs began reaching out to the bereaved families in an attempt to persuade them to line up against a government investigation of the Meron events.

On Monday, associates of MKs contacted at least six of the families who lost loved ones in the Mount Meron stampede and asked them to sign a petition against a commission of inquiry.

Israel Hayom has learned that despite the fact that the letter to Netanyahu was signed by individuals, most of the bereaved families – 37 – back the proposed government inquiry. One bereaved father said, "We need to prevent the next disaster, it hurts so much that they are trying to soften the commission of inquiry."

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Public Security Minister Amir Ohana is sticking to his guns after sparking controversy for saying that while he was responsible for the tragedy at Mount Meron, "responsibility does not mean blame."

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Ohana doesn't believe that he or any other senior Israel Police official is guilty of negligence in enabling the deadly Lag B'Omer stampede to happen, nor does he believe anyone should resign. Nevertheless, he said the Public Security Ministry and senior police officials would cooperate with any investigation that is opened.

Q: In retrospect, is there anything you regret about the management of Mount Meron?

"I think that asking someone if they regret what happened is like asking someone if they had been better off staying home after a car accident. Of course, if that's the outcome, it would have been better not to go. But according to this logic, no one would ever go anywhere ever."

Q: What did you mean when you wrote that 'responsibility did not mean guilt'?

"In the media discourse, there is confusion between responsibility and guilt. This is not the case. I am responsible for everything that happens, and this has something to do with all of the units with ties to my ministry. Responsibility means doing everything so that incidents like this don't happen again: investigating, learning, drawing conclusions. The question of guilt is a separate legal question."

Q: So who is responsible for managing the event?

"Unfortunately, this issue has never been resolved. I've already said that I and all those who bear responsibility will cooperate with whatever assessment mechanism is determined, and we will."

Q: Have you read the state comptroller's report?

"I have read the relevant parts."

Q: The police promised organizers they would be able to regulate the entry of buses when the place started to get packed. Why didn't that happen?

"Of course, that's not a minor issue, and the police took that very seriously. The police made plans so that arrivals to the site would be orderly, and if need be, speedy evaluation."

Q: How is it that 45 people died, and yet no one has resigned?

"I am examining whether there was full and serious preparation to see whether they [the police] functioned properly, whether they dedicated enough forces to this event. Preparations are made for the Mount Meron event for over half a year. I am not familiar with any event like this, [with the participation of] dozens of yeshivas,  almost 5,000 police officers on the ground. I am looking into whether they did all of the drills and made all the necessary preparations, and that's why I can't find a flaw in the conduct of public security bodies."

Q: Do you support calls for a state commission of inquiry?

"I don't oppose them."

Q: Regardless of criminal liability, is there no justification for top brass handing over the keys?

"Absolutely not. If their conscience is clean, and they did all they could to prepare for the event, there's no reason for them to. We have here a terrible tragedy and a difficult disaster. On the day of the event, I visit the wounded to hear what happened. Later, with the beginning of Shabbat, I assisted families in times of difficulty at the Institute of Forensic Medicine, and I'm dedicating these days to consoling the bereaved. I don't hear the things I hear in the studios there. I hear a lot of talk about unity, that that is the will of the deceased. That is the character of the sector they come from. They don't want division.

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For the first time since the Lag B'Omer disaster at Mount Meron last Thursday, Rabbi Chaim Kanievsky, whose word is taken as gospel in the Lithuanian Haredi community, has addressed the stampede that claimed the lives of 45 people and left 150 wounded. 

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In a message published in Haredi newspaper Yated Ne'eman on his behalf, Kanievsky is quoted saying that many have asked him why God inflicted such a tragedy and what could be done for the tikkun (Hebrew for "fixing") of such a harsh judgment. 

Kanievsky's instructions were to increase Torah study and observance, and for women to be more stringent about modesty. Also, according to Kanievsky, "the rules of washing one's hands before a meal are not observed properly."

Although the rabbi himself did not address the question of who was responsible for the disaster, the newspaper did. Editor-in-chief turned publicist Yitzhak Roth pointed the finger at Haredi leaders who, he said, had previously demanded the removal of all bans and were now blaming the disaster on the community officials who organized the event.

Roth also pointed out that the same members of the community had also rioted over a decision by public officials to limit mass pilgrimmages to Uman due to the coronavirus pandemic

There is nothing easier than sitting at one's keyboard and writing a review without first examining one's own actions, Roth wrote, and asked, "For who remembers the story with Uman when we are dealing with the Lag B'Omer disaster?" 

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Israel might be one step closer to establishing a state commission of inquiry into the Lag B'Omer disaster that left 45 people dead and 150 injured. Attorney General Avichai Mendelblit confirmed Monday that there is no legal impediment to establishing such a commission, not even in the case of a provisional government.

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"Although the decision to form such a commission by a provisional government has certain complications, under these difficult circumstances, these complications do not create a legal impediment," he submitted in response to Justice Minister Benny Gantz's request for the attorney general to express his position on the feasibility of such a probe.

According to Mendelblit, the complexity of the incident, the chain of decision-makers, and the mismanagement of the sacred site over multiple years extend beyond the scope of the work of the Israel Police. Therefore, he said, establishing a single body responsible for the thorough investigation of all parties involved in the matter is justified.

Meanwhile, State Comptroller Matanyahu Englman visited Mount Meron Tuesday as part of preparations for his review of the events that lead to the disaster.

He said the audit would include the circumstances that led to tragedy, the preparation of the various bodies involved ahead of time, and the actions taken by them since his office's last review of Lag B'Omer festival policies in 2011.

On Monday, Police Commissioner Yaakov Shabtai convened a police senior command meeting at the Northern District Headquarters in Nazareth and said he would not let the police "become anybody's scapegoat for the continued misconduct of many different bodies."

Over the weekend, police officers across the country changed their profile pictures to that of Northern District Commander Maj. Gen. Shimon Lavie, in support of the commander who oversaw the security arrangements for the Lag B'Omer celebrations and took responsibility for the disaster on Friday.

Those who expressed their support "are police officers who used to be under his command," one officer said. "I too used to be his subordinate and I can testify that he is a wonderful person, humane, moral, and exceptional in his qualities."

Lavie's associates do not expect him to resign. "Is the police to blame? Who built the ramp? It is not even something the police does," one of them said. "The sacred site receives millions of shekels in donations. Where did all the money go?"

Meanwhile, the Knesset held a special session Monday devoted to the incident.

"It is our fundamental duty to examine every aspect of the Meron disaster," Prime Minister Netanyahu said. "After the period of mourning is over, we will examine in an orderly, thorough and responsible fashion every matter that is connected to gatherings on the mountain in the present and past."

Netanyahu said the investigation would include "arrival, security, entry, exit, the allocation of time and security forces and, above all, the engineering changes that are required at the site, and the issue of expropriation, management, and responsibility."

At the meeting, Interior Minister Aryeh Deri said the terrible disaster was fated, but that "does not exempt us from scrutiny and self-examination."

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Jewish and pro-Israel organizations reacted with a mix of shock, grief and mourning over the tragedy in Meron on Friday morning that led to at least 45 dead and 150 wounded.

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"There are no words to describe the terrible tragedy of what happened in Meron on the holy day of Lag B'Omer," said Agudath Israel of America. "All of Klal Yisroel is numb with shock. So many deaths, so many injuries, so many broken hearts. The pain is unbearable."

The Jewish Agency for Israel offered its "deepest condolences to the families of the victims and a quick and complete recovery to the wounded."

The Israeli-American Council said it was "deeply saddened by the terrible tragedy at the tomb of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai at Mount Meron. Our hearts are with the families who lost their loved ones, and we send prayers for a full recovery to all those who are injured."

"We are horrified by the tragedy at the tomb of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai on Mount Meron, where dozens died and many more were injured at the annual Lag B'Omer celebration," wrote Dianne Lob, William Daroff and Malcolm Hoenlein. "As we continue to monitor this developing situation, the American Jewish community prays for the recovery of the victims and extends condolences to those who lost loved ones."

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Chief Rabbi Pinchas Goldschmidt, president of the Conference of European Rabbis said, "We are in shock and mourning over the catastrophe in Meron during Lag B'Omer. Our prayers are with the wounded and victims' families."

Similarly, the American Jewish Committee said, "Our hearts are with everyone at the Mount Meron Lag B'Omer celebration in Israel. We pray for the recovery of those injured and mourn for the families who lost loved ones in this unspeakable tragedy. May their memories be a blessing."

Reprinted with permission from JNS.org.

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All eyes are on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and whether he will order a state commission of inquiry into the Lag B'Omer disaster that left 45 people dead and 150 injured.

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By law, an inquest of this kind would require Justice Minister Benny Gantz's approval. Blue and White's chief on Sunday called for a state commission of inquiry to be formed, though it remains unclear whether a provisional government can install such a panel.

In a letter to Attorney General Avichai Mendelblit, Gantz wrote, "Only a state commission of inquiry will include all aspects of the investigation into the disaster, as it has the broadest authority and the tools at its disposal to consolidate the necessary recommendations.

"Given the unusual circumstances of the event, and in particular, in light of the possibility that government members will be subpoenaed by the commission, only a state commission of inquiry appointed by the president of the Supreme Court, with a judge at its helm, will ensure the independence of the investigation and the public's trust."

According to Gantz, "The establishment of a commission will not bring the families their loved ones back or ease their pain, but it can prevent this kind of disaster [from happening again] in the future. There is an urgency to the speedy establishment of a commission so that it can carry out an initial assessment when the information is available and without many other investigative activities of other officials."

While the Israel Police's Major Crimes Unit was set to launch an investigation shortly after the tragedy took place, not much action has been taken on that front following the decision to task the Police Internal Investigations Department with examining whether officers were liable for the disaster.

The department is set to collect testimony from officers in the Northern Police District, National Headquarters, and Operations Division before a decision is made into whether a criminal investigation is warranted. The move could see Northern District Commander Maj. Gen. Shimon Lavie, Police Commissioner Yaakov Shabtai, and other senior officers questioned under warning.

The Internal Investigations Department's review will be headed by Sgt. Salman Ibrahim.

Over the weekend and continuing into Sunday, investigators from the Northern District and National Police Headquarters collected evidence, including documentation and security camera footage from the scene. The mapping of materials will begin in the coming days, and should this raise suspicions of any kind, a criminal investigation will be opened into those involved.

In an interview Sunday, former Supreme Court Justice Dalia Dorner asserted that a state commission of inquiry "does not look for guilt, that's ignorance. It examines, listens, and recommends. Its recommendations do not need to be accepted, but they do carry great weight."

Public Security Minister Amir Ohana, meanwhile, has told close associates he has no plans to step down over the tragedy.

"Responsibility is not akin to guilt," he told associated.

On Friday, hours after the scope of the tragedy became clear, Lavie told reporters that "as district chief, I bear full responsibility, for better or for worse. We are currently gathering information and evidence to get to the truth about what happened. I'm willing to face any investigation."

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In his Sunday address at St. Peter's Square, Pope Francis expressed his grief at the deaths in the Mount Meron stampede on Lag B'Omer Thursday, which claimed the lives of 45 people and left some 150 injured in one of the biggest civil disasters in Israel's history.

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Most of the victims were laid to rest once the Sabbath was over on the night of May 1.

"With sadness, I express my closeness to the people of Israel for the incident … on Mount Meron that caused the deaths of 45 people and numerous injured. I assure the victims and their families that I will remember them in prayer," Francis said.

Video: Reuters

"I assure the victims and their families that I will remember them in prayer," he added.

Francis' words came after world leaders, including US President Joe Biden, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, as well as Arab leaders, reached out to express their condolences.

Even Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas sent President Reuven Rivlin a letter of condolence on Friday morning that read, "We are praying to the Lord for mercy to victims and speedy recovery to those who suffered injuries, and for the families of victims."

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