Commission of inquiry submits interim report on Meron disaster

22 November 2021, 2:26 pm

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Victims of the April 30, 2021, Mount Meron disaster: Top row (L-R): Chen Doron, Haim Rock, Ariel Tzadik, Yossi Kohn, Yisrael Anakvah, Yishai Mualem, Yosef Mastorov, Elkana Shiloh and Moshe Levy; 2nd row (L-R): Shlomo Zalman Leibowitz, Shmuel Zvi Klagsbald, Mordechai Fakata, Dubi Steinmetz, Abraham Daniel Ambon, Eliezer Gafner, Yosef Greenbaum, Yehuda Leib Rubin and Yaakov Elchanan Starkovsky; 3rd row (L-R): Haim Seler, Yehoshua Englard, Moshe Natan Neta Englard, Yedidia Hayut, Moshe Ben Shalom, David Krauss, Eliezer Tzvi Joseph, Yosef Yehuda Levy and Yosef Amram Tauber; 4th row (L-R): Menachem Knoblowitz, Elazar Yitzchok Koltai, Yosef David Elhadad, Shraga Gestetner, Yonatan Hebroni, Shimon Matalon, Elazar Mordechai Goldberg, Moshe Bergman and Daniel Morris; 5th row (L-R): Ariel Achdut, Moshe Mordechai Elhadad, Hanoch Slod, Yedidya Fogel, Menahem Zakbah, Simcha Diskind, Moshe Tzarfati, Nahman Kirshbaum and Eliyahu Cohen.

The state commission of inquiry into the Mount Meron disaster submits its interim report to Prime Minister Naftali Bennett on the deadly crush in April that killed 45 people.

Bennett, in a statement, says the government will study the report closely to ensure such an incident never happens again. The tragedy, Israel’s worst peacetime disaster, “cannot be repeated,” says Bennett.

“Negligence, failed management, unprofessional appointments cost lives,” he says.

“We will study the report and work to hold the event [the Lag B’Omer festival Meron] safely this year,” adds the prime minister.

The report is also submitted to the Religious Affairs Ministry and Public Security Ministry.

The panel lays out a list of recommendations for the holy site, including appointing a minister to oversee preparations for Lag B’Omer at Meron; capping the crowd at 20,000; improving the infrastructure at the site; expanding the site to reduce crowding; and redistributing the crowds to different areas.