Lessons from the Meron disaster: The head of the Hermon Mevot Council, Benny Ben Mobhar, announced the closure of the grave site of Rabbi Yonatan Ben Uziel in the deep forest - where special prayers were supposed to be held ahead of Tu B'Av.
Reason for closure: The buildings in the complex were built without a permit, are in danger of collapse, and the access roads to the site are unsafe.
Rabbi Yonatan ben Uziel was a Tanna of the first generation of Tannaim, who lived several decades before the destruction of the Second Temple. He authored the Targum Yonatan, a translation of the prophets into Aramaic.
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Every year, many people make a pilgrimage on the 15th of Av to the grave attributed to Tanna Rabbi Yonatan ben Uziel, as a means of finding a marriage partner. Single men, women, and relatives flock to the place to ask at his grave for a decent marriage for themselves or their relatives.
MK Uri Maklev attacked the decision this evening: "It is impossible to arbitrarily prevent and completely close the place. If there are problems, solutions can be found. The state must make a permanent arrangement and adapt to holding prayers at the place. It is impossible to prevent and close everything without providing solutions.".
About two months ago, before the celebration of the 26th of Sivan, the Mevot Hermon Regional Council announced that it had decided to cancel the celebration of Rabbi Yonatan ben Uziel.
According to the regional council, the buildings in the tomb complex were erected without a permit and are prohibited from use by law, with retaining walls in the complex in danger of collapse.
The council added that the access road to the tomb complex from Highway 90 is also a dangerous, winding, narrow scenic road without a guardrail. The second access road, from the direction of the city of Safed, is also narrow and unsuitable for heavy vehicle traffic, including and especially buses.
