Hundreds Of Charedim Illegally Enter Meron Site, Clash With Police

JERUSALEM (VINnews) — Hundreds of people entered the Meron compound after Shabbat in violation of the law,  according to a report by Israel Police. The pilgrims hoped to participate in the Lag Ba’omer celebrations at the site – despite the fact that the area has been declared a closed military zone and a special law has been passed strictly limiting this year’s celebrations.

According to the police, at a certain point there began to be violent riots, including people hurling objects at police officers, and forcefully resisting the officers’ orders to disperse from the scene.

חרדים קיצונים מתפרעים בהר מירון pic.twitter.com/NVeVPWgAvQ

— יואלי ברים yoeli brim (@yoeli_brim) May 25, 2024

Additional police forces were called to the scene, and removed the protesters who were not permitted to ascend the mountain.

“Israel Police takes very seriously the behavior of the lawbreakers who chose to attack police officers acting to enforce the law and protect the public’s welfare,” Israel Police said in a statement. “The police will act determinedly against any attack or violence of any type which is directed towards the officers at the scene.”

“We reiterate that the steps and special preparations by Israel Police are intended to ensure the public’s welfare and safety. Since the start of the war, dozens of rockets have been fired towards Mount Meron, and a large number of them fell at the spots where thousands of people customarily visited over the course of the years. Violation of the law and remaining at the Meron site are criminal acts. Thus we can also issue fines to those who violate the law.”

An informal poll conducted by the Kikar Hashabbat  site showed that 80% of the charedi community believes the ban on Lag Ba’omer celebrations in Meron is justified, while 15% believe it is not justified and 5% said they do not know.

Sixty-eight percent of respondents said that the bodies which made the decision think only of the public’s welfare, while 17% said that the statement was untrue and 15% did not know.

When asked if the bodies charged with the decision-making were motivated by hatred of haredim, 58% said no, 28% said yes, and 14% said they do not know.

Though 69% of respondents said they did not plan on traveling to Meron this year, 24% said they did plan on it, 8% said “maybe.”