Police Block Hundreds Of Worshipers From Reaching Meron, But Thousands Celebrate There

JERUSALEM (VINnews) — Large police forces operated overnight and into Monday morning to evacuate hundreds of worshippers who tried to reach the area of Mount Meron and visit the tomb of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai on Lag Ba’Omer, the day marking his hilula.

According to a police statement, the worshippers who were intercepted were put on buses and taken away from the area. Many of them had arrived after long journeys on foot through roads, forests, and unpaved paths, only to encounter police roadblocks that had been set up in advance.

Hundreds of police officers, Border Police units, and traffic division personnel continue to operate in the area in an effort to prevent further arrivals. As part of the operation, buses and private vehicles attempting to approach the site were also stopped.

מאות אנשים שעשו דרכם במהלך הלילה ליישוב מירון בהליכה רגלית, הועלו על ידי השוטרים לאוטובוסים והורחקו מהאזור pic.twitter.com/uVHdoUG2Eo

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Police say the increased enforcement is based solely on safety considerations, given the current security situation and in accordance with Home Front Command guidelines. According to them, remaining in the area could endanger the public in the event of rocket fire or attacks by the Hezbollah terror organization in Lebanon.

At this stage, however, police are not evacuating people already on the mountain itself, where thousands are believed to be congregating, some having arrived before Shabbat, and others having managed to pass through the checkpoints beforehand. In some places worshipers managed to break down police barricades and swarmed onto the mountain.

At one point worshipers saw a charedi border policeman maintaining the order and heckled him with crys of “Nazi”, an incident which led to widespread condemnation of their behavior.

Police Spokesman Dr. Omer Dostri said that “We are very satisfied with the current situation. On the one hand, there was joy and celebration, and on the other hand, lives were preserved, and that’s exactly what we wanted.” According to him, the main directive given to the police was to combine sensitivity with firmness. “The minister asked not to forget that this is a holiday. The instruction was first and foremost to explain the danger to people, to try to persuade them to turn back, and only in exceptional cases to act decisively.”

“The police managed to turn back hundreds of buses. We did everything necessary, both in outreach and on the ground. Of course, we are familiar with the complex topography of the area and know that some people try to arrive via alternative routes.” However, he acknowledged that it is impossible to completely prevent individuals and small groups from arriving: “In the end, there are people who find ways to get there. We understand the reality.”