Israel’s chief Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef and Rabbi David Lau, have instructed worshipers to refrain from travelling to the holy site on Mount Meron during the upcoming holiday of Lag B’Omer because of ongoing security concerns. Instead, they advised pilgrims to adhere to the instructions of security services.
Following a recent security assessment, the Israeli military’s Home Front Command cancelled this year’s traditional celebrations on Mount Meron. This decision is particularly significant given the recent Hezbollah rocket barrages targeting the area. The mountain, situated in the Upper Galilee, hosts a sensitive military air traffic control base that has been a focal point for Hezbollah attacks.
Mount Meron is also renowned as the burial site of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai, a Second Century rabbinic leader and author of the Zohar, Judaism’s foundational book of kabbalah. The anniversary of Rabbi Shimon’s death, Lag B’Omer, is celebrated with bonfires and typically attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors to his grave. This year, Lag B’Omer begins at sundown on May 25.
The call for caution comes in the wake of the 2021 tragedy at Mount Meron, where a stampede during Lag B’Omer celebrations resulted in 45 deaths and 150 injuries. The disaster, Israel’s worst civilian calamity, was attributed to overcrowded conditions and a faulty walkway in a narrow passage. A state commission of inquiry’s report released in March held Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu personally responsible for the incident.