Newsletter
Newsletter Support JNS

Israel launches probe into Mount Meron disaster

The commission of inquiry set a deadline of about six weeks for its work, which will be held in close cooperation with Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit, who ordered a criminal investigation into the deadly stampede.

Israeli rescue forces and police at the scene of the tragedy at Mount Meron in northern Israel, April 30, 2021. Photo by David Cohen/Flash90.
Israeli rescue forces and police at the scene of the tragedy at Mount Meron in northern Israel, April 30, 2021. Photo by David Cohen/Flash90.

The state commission of inquiry into the April 30 Mount Meron tragedy, which saw 45 people killed and 150 injured in a stampede during the Lag B’Omer festival at the site, began its work on Sunday.

The panel, headed by retired Chief Justice Miriam Naor, has already requested various documents from local and religious authorities regarding the preparation for the event.

The committee set a deadline of about six weeks for its work, which will be held in close cooperation with Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit. He has already ordered a criminal investigation into the deadly stampede.

Eight people so far, including two engineers and two heads of the Center for the Development and Preservation of Holy Places—a unit of the Religious Services Ministry—have been questioned by the police on suspicion of negligence manslaughter.

This article first appeared in Israel Hayom.

At state ceremony in Jerusalem, the Israeli president, prime minister and chief of staff said the legacy of “Operation Yonatan” continues to define Israel’s commitment never to abandon its citizens.
First-of-its-kind gathering underscores the importance of creating spaces where dads can grieve, share and heal.
The current Knesset will be the first to complete a full term since the 11th Knesset, which served between 1984 to 1988.
“Friends like Lindsey Graham come along once in a generation,” stated William Daroff, CEO of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations.
“Iran does not control the strait. Traffic is flowing,” stated U.S. Central Command.
“I find that there is a custom or practice that classical musicians do not make statements on sensitive political or social issues from the stage without approval of the host,” said Justice Graeme Hill.