Those who traveled to Meron in previous years are accustomed to long journeys with frequent traffic jams, but nonetheless, stops along the way with bathroom facilities and free drinks and refreshments handed out, donated by private philanthropists, eased the conditions.
This year, however, those who purchased tickets for the festivities on Lag b'Omer in the small northern town are reporting abysmal conditions during the journey to Meron, with no facilities of any kind provided at the stops during the journey.
According to multiple testimonies and as can be seen from amateur footage filmed at "rest stops," these stops are simply vacant lots with absolutely nothing there. No shade from the sun, no bathroom facilities, no drinks or food of any kind - and this is for people who have been on the road for several hours, including women and young children.
"I've been here for two hours already," said Eli Mizrachi, who set out at seven in the morning from Jerusalem. "But there are people still waiting here at this rest stop who left the capital at five in the morning, and they're still waiting now, and obviously we're not going to get permission to move on before they do."
Worse still, organizers this year are detaining travelers at not just one but several "rest stops" along the way and only allowing buses to proceed after a wait of several hours, allegedly to prevent overcrowding at the site, even though the number of tickets sold precludes the massive overcrowding seen in previous years.
According to MK Michael Malchieli, "Thousands of passengers, men, women, and children, have been stuck in parking lots for more than three hours. This is a scandal that must be addressed."