Ahead of the Lag BaOmer celebration at the Zion Rashbi in Meron, the police announced that the main entrance to Safed will be completely blocked during the celebration.
However, Mayor Ilan Shohat decided to go to war against the decision.
In a post he wrote to the city's Kabbalist residents, he wrote: "I would like to share with you that there is currently a heated debate between the Safed Municipality and the Traffic Division of the Israel Police regarding the blockade of Safed on Lag BaOmer.
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""The Traffic Department intends to turn us into a besieged city and hostages of the celebrations in Maron. They intend that all 50,000 residents of Safed and the city's workers and students will enter and exit the city only via the Rosh Pina Road. It is not possible to enter and exit the city from the Elifelet Road bypassing Safed at all! Why? Like this!""
According to him, this is a "life-threatening, opaque and arbitrary decision that will turn Safed, which is already busy every day, into a city under siege.".
Shohat clarifies: "All our attempts to offer alternative solutions were dismissed out of hand, and we, the mayors, were not even invited to participate in the decision-making discussions.".
At this point, the mayor of Safed issues a threat: "We will not move forward on this agenda and I intend to act decisively to change the decision. If our voice is not heard, we will even intensify the measures.".
""I also shared this with Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan, and I hope he will get into the thick of it. I will soon update on additional moves that include shutdowns, blockades, and demonstrations.".
