Police say roads around Meron to be shut for days as Lag B’Omer pilgrimage canceled

The Israel Police says that due to tightened restrictions in the north amid repeated Hezbollah violations of the shaky ceasefire, the annual Lag B’Omer pilgrimage on Mount Meron is canceled and roads surrounding the area will be shut for several days.

A number of roads will already be closed today ahead of the holiday, which begins Monday evening. Tomorrow morning an additional number of roads will be shut to prevent people from accessing the site, and will remain closed through Wednesday.

Police say that checkpoints set up on roads leading to Meron will not allow entry to anyone who is not authorized and whose ID does not show that they are a resident of the town.

In addition, Border Police forces equipped with advanced surveillance tools and off-road vehicles are being deployed to the forests around the area to prevent attempts to reach the site on foot, police say.

“As part of preparations, police identified serious and extreme online posts calling on the public to equip themselves with offensive gear, pepper spray, and other means to harm police officers,” the Israel Police statement reads “Any attempt to act violently against security forces or disturb public order will be met with a firm response and zero tolerance. The police will not allow extremist elements to turn the holy site into a scene of violence and will act to bring to justice anyone who incites violence or acts against officers carrying out their duties.”

Generally tens of thousands of worshipers visit Mount Meron for Lag B’Omer, and past attempts to restrict access at the site have been met with fierce opposition from some in the ultra-Orthodox population.