The State Investigation Committee into the Meron Disaster: Representative of the Toldot Aharon Hasidism, activist Zvi Michal Heller, who is responsible on behalf of the court for the conduct and organization of the Lag BaOmer celebration on Mount Meron, testified dramatic testimony today (Tuesday) before the committee, headed by retired judge Miriam Naor.
Heller arrived at the committee's hearings wearing a Sukkot lulav ring on his finger, apparently as a symbol of success.
Heller, who organized the event in the square where the disaster occurred, told the committee members that about twenty thousand people are participating in the event, but most of them do not belong to the Toldot Aharon Hasidism. "Crowds of people from the House of Israel come because they feel an awakening. It is a spiritual matter that they come, it is not a concert. That is why the Rebbe says his words in Hebrew, so that everyone understands.".
Want more news, videos and stories? Join the Haredim 10 WhatsApp channel >>
During his remarks, Judge Naor commented that she watched the lighting of the Rebbe on television, and that it was indeed an impressive event.
When Heller was asked about the connection with the police, he said that four years ago he received instructions from the police to raise the Rebbe's platform and take the children out. "We took them out according to police instructions, and we also brought the women to the upper level. Everything was according to police instructions.".
He said he took on his role - the liaison with the police, the 'holy places' and the authorities - 15 years ago. "The police give instructions, we have to comply with them and only then do we set off," he said. "This year we had six meetings with them. They give instructions and we carry them out. They say what we need to do, how many floors in the stands, how many fences, where to repair, and we follow only the police's instructions.".
When asked about his son Yaakov Kapil's role, he replied that he appointed him to be in charge of logistics. "My son took the instructions from the police and the engineers, what needed to be done, what to add.".
Judge Naor asked about the number of people who were allowed to enter the ignition area. The engineer and his assistant testified before us, and they told us how many were allowed in the area. Do you know anything about that?
Heller replied: "I didn't know about it until after the disaster. There was no sign at all on the area, how many people were allowed in. We never even heard that there was a limit on the number of people, or on the area. Who are we to tell a person whether to enter or not? Why, is this ours? What are we the police? Are we even allowed to put up a barrier somewhere? There were places we wanted to block, on Rabbi Elazar's steps where all the women are, we wanted to do it for the sake of separating men and women, but the police wouldn't let us. They told us: You can't, it's an escape route. We received this directive and worked according to it, even though according to our way of life there should have been a partition.
[gallery]
""We didn't put a single nail without the police and the engineers. No one would say that Tolodot Aharon did something small and easy without permission. I received a complete file two hours before the event. The engineer arrived, threw me the brochure and said: 'You have a signed permit.' What can I see? What do I understand? Am I an engineer? An architect? I know one thing. They stood and danced and there was no problem within the area.".
When the judge commented to him that the area was crowded, he said that he had not seen an unusual crowding like every year. "They should have told us - stop the crowd. Why didn't anyone do it? We just obey what the police say. And in the end, the one who stopped the music was the police. If the police had said - no lighting because there are more people, I assure you there would have been no lighting. If they had told me to stop the event, then they wouldn't have had to say it twice. It would have happened immediately. The manager of the place is the police.".
He added that the Hasidic community will obey any decision made by the committee. "I have given my all. I have no shadow of a doubt that this will be the case, because of the pain and sorrow we are going through, and the Rebbe is broken and shattered. The holidays were not holidays. There are nine orphans around the Rebbe every day. Whatever you decide is what will happen. You can rest assured that we will obey every word and a half, as before.".
In response to Judge Naor's question about the difference in lighting the fire in Meron or Jerusalem, he replied that the Rebbe said that there was no obligation to go to Meron. "We are considered an extremist group on the street, but we have worked in close cooperation with the police all these years on public safety and peace. Our public is very disciplined. We are an example of how one should obey all the instructions of the police and engineers, and one should not give up on the tip of the needle.".
