Tomorrow evening: The Zion Rashbi complex will be evacuated of people - and crowd restrictions will begin

May 16, 2022   

The Israel Police is preparing for Lag BaOmer at the Rashbi Zion in Meron - when this year the celebration will take place in accordance with the interim recommendations of the Meron Disaster Investigation Committee, which were adopted by the government, the main ones of which are: limiting the number of celebrants in the complex at any given time to only 16,000 people, and holding only one lighting ceremony. Can you keep a secret? Solve an issue? We are looking for you for a prestigious position The crowd occupancy restrictions that will apply this year will begin on Tuesday. The Ministry of Transportation will limit the number of celebrants to 16,000 at any given time by distributing and selling tickets for the event, with the tickets allowing access to the site by public transportation and a stay of up to four hours in the tomb complex. The police announced last night that it will not be possible to reach the site on foot or in private vehicles. Therefore, tickets should be purchased in advance. Special populations, including the families of the victims of the disaster, will receive special permits from the Ministry of Religious Services, provided that the number of visitors to the site does not exceed 16,000 at any given time. For the first time, residents of the settlement of Meron and guests will also not be entitled to enter the tomb complex unless they obtain a travel ticket or special permit from the Ministry of Religious Services. Restrictions on access to the tomb complex began yesterday, and access to the settlement of Meron with private vehicles is not permitted. Those arriving in private vehicles are required to park in a designated parking lot outside the settlement and enter on foot. Transportation from the parking lot to the tomb complex and back is available for the disabled and handicapped. Starting tomorrow - Tuesday, at 7:00 PM, restrictions on the number of people staying in the tomb complex will come into effect, and therefore all those staying in the Zion complex will be required to leave it, and any private vehicles found in the parking lot adjacent to the settlement and in unregulated parking lots will be towed at the owner's expense. From this time onwards, only residents of the settlement and their guests will remain in the entire Meron complex, and private vehicle traffic will cease. On Wednesday morning, public transportation will begin to bring the immigrants to Meron. Event organizers will hand out wristbands to those coming to the site in order to monitor the time of entry and ensure that they do not stay on site for more than four hours. Representatives of the event producer will count the number of people entering and leaving the site, in order to ensure that the limit on the number of people staying in the complex is maintained. Transportation to the site will be stopped if the number of people staying reaches 16,000. An additional limit will apply to the number of people staying in the memorial itself: the stay must be shortened and the other worshipers taken into account. Although, in this case, the police did not say what the exact number is. Hundreds of ushers will be on duty inside the tomb complex, in the parking lots and on the access roads to the site, and the public must show responsibility and obey the instructions of the ushers and the police. The purpose of the police assessments, it was reported, is to allow the celebration to take place while enforcing the regulations amended following the Meron disaster, which were intended to allow the celebration to take place safely and while allowing as many visitors as possible to visit the Rashbi site. The Israel Police will operate a helicopter, observation devices, drones, ATVs, SUVs, motorcycles and horsemen. [Gallery] Approximately 8,000 police officers and Border Guard soldiers will work around the clock to secure the Meron settlement complex, the forests and areas surrounding it, and all access routes. Transportation to Meron on the day of the event will depart from various settlements throughout the country. Be prepared for a long wait in parking lots and on buses, and be patient. Private vehicles will not be able to reach the Meron complex. Owners of private vehicles can reach the Elifelet parking lot and board a shuttle from there. The Israel Police and ZAKA will operate a station to locate children/people with special needs who have gotten lost. The station will be located in the direction of The Rashbi sign is on the right and will operate starting Tuesday, May 17 at 12:00. Bracelets will be distributed at the station with the phone numbers of the parents or responsible adult so that in the event that a child/adult gets lost, the person responsible for them can be easily located using the bracelet. It is recommended to go through the station and get a bracelet. In addition, in any case where a child/adult gets lost, you can call 1220 from any phone or come to the station, ZAKA volunteers and the Israel Police will work to locate the missing person.