Police announced preparations for the cancellation of the traditional Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai Lag B'Omer celebration in Meron, following Home Front Command directives and a decision by the Prime Minister due to the security situation.
As part of the preparations, the following roads and sections will be closed today: the Ein Zeitim Junction on Highway 89, the Gush Halav Junction on Highway 89, the Sifsufa Junction on Highway 89, and the Parod Junction on Highway 866.
Additional roads will be closed tomorrow, and all blocked sections are expected to reopen to the general public on May 6, after Lag B'Omer. Police also stated that residents of Meron will be allowed access through the closed sections upon presentation of an ID card.
Following the announcement of the cancellation, a framework was formulated aimed at preserving the traditional Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai celebration in Meron as much as possible. A draft of the framework was submitted for approval by the relevant authorities, with the intention of managing the events under the strictest possible restrictions.
According to the outline, three ceremonial bonfire lightings will be organized to preserve the tradition: the central lighting ceremony of the Boyan Hasidic Rebbe, a Sephardic communities’ lighting ceremony led by Rabbi Shlomo Moshe Amar, and a lighting ceremony conducted by rabbis from the Religious Zionist community.
Each of the ceremonies, which will take place on the night of the celebration, will be limited to no more than 200 participants arriving in an organized manner through the respective communities conducting the events.
The framework is based on the fact that several thousand people are currently staying legally in the Meron area. As a result, designated compounds will be operated to manage the crowds, including the tomb area and the Bnei Akiva and Or HaRashbi compounds.
Stewards will operate around the tomb site to allow those present to pray safely, while the traditional orchestra will perform in the courtyard near the tomb cave.
Despite the creation of the framework for managing those already on the mountain, officials emphasized that no additional public access to Meron will be allowed - neither by private vehicles nor by public transportation, including rabbis and public figures. The general public will be able to follow the events through live broadcasts from the lighting ceremonies and the tomb courtyard throughout the day of the celebration.
The framework is expected to remain in effect as long as public order is maintained at the site and civilian management of the event remains possible. It remains subject to Home Front Command restrictions and police directives.
Officials involved in drafting the outline stated that the primary goal is to preserve the tradition while ensuring the safety of those present at the site.