Religious Zionist rabbis sharply criticized the organizing of Lag Baomer festivities on Saturday night as this will force thousands of security officials to desecrate the Shabbat in order to prepare for the mass event.
Rabbi Yigal Kaminetski, the head of the Center for Torah and State, said that "if we would ask Rabbi Shimon Bar Yohai himself, he would have said to cancel the festivity so that the Shabbat will not even be minimally desecrated."
Professor Neriah Guttel added that "Rabbi Shimon Bar Yohai respected the Shabbat, is it plausible that the Shabbat should be desecrated for him?
Jerusalem Chief Rabbi Aryeh Stern called to postpone the event to Sunday and Bet El Rabbi Shlomo Aviner said "this is terrible. Shabbat is definitely more important than Lag BaOmer."