Haredi MKs attacked and gave Kahane a response: "The only one responsible is me""

July 4, 2022   

A tense discussion took place today (Monday), at the initiative of MK Yitzhak Pindrus, in the Knesset's Public Security Committee and the National Infrastructure Projects Committee, regarding the Lag BaOmer failures in Meron and the government agencies' preparations for the Rashbi celebration. The discussion was attended by Deputy Minister for Religious Services, MK Matan Kahane, the celebration's coordinator Zviki Tesler, representatives of the police, the Ministry of Transportation, the 'Committee of Five' and other parties. The discussion was opened by Deputy Minister Kahane, who emphasized that the purpose of the discussion is not to find those responsible - because the sole responsibility lies with him. "Last week, an investigation was conducted under my leadership, an investigation whose sole purpose is to ensure that next year's celebration will be much, much more successful. This investigation was not about 'looking for those responsible' because there is no need to look for them, there is only one person responsible for what happened this year - and his name is Matan Kahane. I am the only one responsible," he said. He added: "We had two goals this year: The first goal - zero deaths and injuries, to my delight we met this goal with great success. The second goal - to create a happy and successful celebration, we failed at that. We simply failed. "We followed a revolutionary plan, which simply changed the world order in how the revelry is conducted in Meron. We did it in a very short time frame, because we were waiting for the interim conclusions of the investigation committee, and after that we set off in a complex political situation in a short time and with huge infrastructure gaps. There were something like 70 infrastructure hazards in place that were dealt with in the short time we had. There were legal and constitutional challenges in organizing this revelry, and we did all the organizing on the subject in a very short time." He said, "We wrote about 100 comments, 100 comments directed at us, about things that we, as those responsible for the celebration, could have done better. I very much hope that we can fix them next year. I'm not looking for anyone else responsible, we're looking at ourselves. There are many things that we could have done much better, even within the outline as it was planned." He clarified: "One of the key points that led to the failure of the joy at the celebration was the conduct around the Zion. I'll say this in a word, and then it will be expanded upon here in the discussion, if we planned for about 16,000 people to be on the mountain at the same time, in retrospect it turns out that due to various circumstances, some of them because of us, the people concentrated on the Zion itself and the congestion that was created there essentially dictated the decision on how many people can be on the mountain complex. "That was part of the failure, and I'm saying this clearly - we still don't have a solution to this issue for next year! This is something that we'll have to think about carefully, all of us together, to see how we conduct ourselves differently around the Zion. Some of the things we will fix from what we did this year will provide a solution to the problem, but it will not be enough. "I will say the following - all those involved claim that the principles of the outline set this year are the right path to continue next year. If we know how to fix the 100 comments that Commissioner Tesler wrote in his document, and we know how to find a solution to the conduct of Zion itself, I think we have a crack in the success of the event next year." Kahane emphasized: "One thing before the last, we are entering political instability that will hopefully end at the end of January. It is very late to start preparing for Miron 2013. That is why I have defined in the Ministry of Religious Services that Miron 2013 begins now! We will begin a kick-off discussion for next year's Miron within a week, because we cannot wait until the next minister sits in the chair." MK Yitzhak Pindros said: "Before the celebration, I called for the state to be given a chance to manage the event, because we were aiming for a coup. The state received credit, but in reality it failed to manage the event. The event needs to be regulated by legislation, when it is determined that there is one authority in the area and not that the chairman of the local council or any safety engineer is interfering with the decision-making." Pindrus added: "The conclusions of the investigation committee determined that ushers from the Haredi community who will undergo appropriate training will be stationed in Meron. Who is responsible for the fact that ushers from East Jerusalem actually arrived without training and familiarity with the Haredi community?" MK Uri Maklev said in the discussion: "Second laps at the nursing home seem more lively than they were this year in Meron. There was a misunderstanding of the event. This is not another event, it is not the access routes and the people, but a different event in the cultural and ethical part - prayer on the one hand and joy on the other. There was no understanding and no planning or execution. "We must remember that at this event, most of the people who wanted to come could not come and most of those who did suffer greatly." Maklev added and argued: "This is not just a question of services. It is the stress of people who travel for many hours with three-year-old children in their arms. Three and a half hours of waiting in the parking lot, where you don't know what the next moment will be. "Think about the personal things, without a drink. Many waited at the checkpoints and what they saw before their eyes were iron bars and police. "If such an event fails, it should worry everyone. Seconds of laps in the old man's seat would have seemed more lively than what was there. I told you on the night of the event, close the grave area and release the people. When there are no lights - everyone goes to the grave. What did you do so that there was no pressure? You did nothing. What do you answer to the people who collaborated, canceled a long-standing tradition, brought you the authority, gave you credit, what do you answer to them? You simply had no divine help." During a debate, MK Yoav Ben-Zur of Shas criticized MK Yulia Malinovsky of Yisrael Beiteinu and shouted at her: "You have no understanding of what revelry is."'