The Minister of Religious Services, Matan Kahane, was appointed today (Sunday) to be responsible for managing the celebration in Meron on Lag BaOmer.
The government also approved the recommendations of the interim committee of the State Commission of Inquiry investigating the 'Meron Disaster.' Among the committee's recommendations were a maximum occupancy of 20,000 people in the compound, only one central heating system, a ban on setting up tents, and a ban on distributing food, except for drinks.
The Minister of Religious Services will be required to appoint a project manager to manage the event in the next two weeks, while at the same time a 'team of CEOs' will be established, headed by the CEO of the Ministry of Religious Services, who will formulate a detailed plan for the event, including the maximum number of participants on site at any given moment, schedules and budget until the end of January.
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In a tweet posted by the minister on Twitter, he pledges that this year the safety of those celebrating the festival in Meron will be above all else.
""The Israeli government has entrusted me with the responsibility for the Lag BaOmer celebrations in Meron this year," he tweeted. "The upcoming Meron event will be completely different from the events that have taken place there so far - the safety of those celebrating the revelry will be above all else this time.".
Minister Benny Gantz tweeted: "We have now approved in the government the interim report of the state investigation committee into the Meron disaster - a step towards the important goal of ensuring that such a tragic event does not happen again. It is our duty as a state to take responsibility, and a moral duty to the victims.".
""There is still a lot of work to do, and it will require us to advance work to improve the existing infrastructure in the complex to enable safe prayer, as recommended by the committee members. I also welcome the recommendation that was received, to appoint the Minister of Religious Services to be responsible for the event, alongside the establishment of a team of general managers to oversee the preparations and a dedicated projector.".
""Along with examining the Meron incident, we will have to ensure that lessons are learned from similar mass events, and that the state takes responsibility. This is why I insisted on establishing the committee already at the coalition agreement stage. On this occasion, I would like to once again strengthen the families of the dead, so that they will know no more grief.".
The Walla website reported last week that the Minister of Religious Services is considering canceling all lightings by the Hasidic sects and various communities at the upcoming celebration in Meron - in accordance with an interim recommendation by the State Investigation Committee - and instead allowing one lighting to be led by a state rabbi, and managed by the Ministry of Religious Services.
This is a move that could be interpreted as a declaration of war and dispossession of Bayan Hasidism, which has held the right to light the lamp for about 170 years.
To ensure that the crowd restriction is maintained, the state investigation committee recommended continuing with access to the mountain by public transportation only, limiting the length of stay of private transportation, and using technological means to monitor crowd control, an issue that came up repeatedly in committee discussions.
The only ignition will occur on the roof of the Zion - and it will be brief.
A person close to Kahane said last week: "Anyone who thought that what was is what will be, probably hasn't gotten to know Kahane in the last six months. A new sheriff has arrived in town, the Meron event will be completely different from anything we've known.".
