A year after disaster, thousands flock to Israeli holy site
Police are making preparations at a Jewish holy site in northern Israel ahead of the arrival of thousands of worshipers and revelers a year after a disaster that left 45 people dead
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Police made preparations at a Jewish holy site in northern Israel ahead of the arrival of thousands of mostly ultra-Orthodox worshipers and revelers on Wednesday, a year after a chaotic stampede linked to overcrowding left 45 people dead.
This year's Lag Ba'Omer holiday festivities at Mount Meron are overshadowed by last year's deaths, the largest civilian disaster in the country's history.
Highways leading to the mountain were already gridlocked hours ahead of the celebrations.
An independent commission of inquiry launched after the disaster looked into major safety lapses and overcrowding at the mountaintop site and recommended limiting attendance and revamping safety protocols and infrastructure.
Attendance this year is limited to 16,000 people, who had to secure tickets in advance. Police said that around 8,000 police officers would be stationed around the site to maintain order.
The site is believed to be the burial place of a prominent second century rabbi, and has drawn Jewish pilgrims and worshipers for centuries. The springtime festival is marked by large bonfires, singing and dancing.
On Tuesday, police said they stopped a minibus near Mount Meron carrying members of a radical ultra-Orthodox sect in possession of box cutters, wire cutters, paint bombs and other tools that officers suspected were meant to vandalize infrastructure at the site. At least three people were arrested.
Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said ahead of the holiday's commencement at sundown Wednesday that “the government of Israel has made a large investment in order to allow wide and safe participation."
“I ask the public to act according to the published guidelines and to arrive with a ticket in order that we can hold the festival safely,” he said.