A year and four months after Israel’s worst civilian disaster and after many months of listening to testimony by various officials, the members of the state commission of inquiry into the Meron disaster sent warning letters to a number of senior officials who held relevant positions of responsibility at the time of the Meron disaster.

Among the recipients of the warning letters were former Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, former Internal Security Minister Amir Ohana (Likud), former Religious Services Minister Yaakov Avitan (Shas), Police Commissioner Kobi Shabtai, outgoing Northern District Police Commander Shimon Lavi, Lt.-Gen Morris Chen, the head of the Police Operations Department at the time of the disaster, Rabbi Yossi Schwinger, the director of the National Center for the Development of the Holy Places, Rav Shmuel Rabinowitz, the Rav of the Kosel and Mekomos HaKedoshim and head of the Va’adas HaChamisha, the “Committee of Five,” and others.

The committee stated that the letters were sent only to those who held an official position at the time of the disaster in Meron. Warnings were sent in accordance with Israeli law, which requires that those who may be negatively affected by the investigation or its results to be warned in order to provide them with an opportunity to respond.

The committee stated: “We note that the Kever Rashbi site in general and the celebration on Lag B’Omer specifically, has a long history and various aspects. During the committee’s work, we were exposed to multiple failures and unsatisfactory conduct on the part of those who dealt with the issue over the years.”

The members of the committee explained that for reasons of efficiency, they are not holding everyone relevant to the issue responsible but sent warnings to officials in accordance with their positions and the severity of their failings. “We took into account the position of the official regarding the disaster and the question of his seniority. We sought to express our perception, according to which holders of senior public positions, who are granted extensive and significant powers, are required to bear corresponding responsibilities. In addition, regarding those in senior public positions, we saw great importance in clarifying the norms of behavior expected of them, each according to their role and the matter at hand.”

Regarding their decision to send a warning letter to Netanyahu, the committee members stated: “As someone who served as Prime Minister of Israel for over 12 consecutive years during the relevant period (from 2009 to 2021), former Prime Minister Netanyahu knew, or should have known, that the Kever Rashbi site at Meron was poorly managed over the years and was bound to create a risk for the many participants of the celebration that takes place every year on Lag B’Omer.”

“Former Prime Minister Netanyahu did not act as expected of a prime minister to correct this state of affairs. This, despite the fact that the issue was the focus of serious reports by the State Comptroller, that the issue involved several government ministries, and that it was brought to the government’s table on several occasions in various years. Former Prime Minister Netanyahu did not ensure effective monitoring of the government’s handling of the matter, even after it was clarified in the framework of a discussion of a government decision in 2016 that previous government decisions on the matter were not implemented.”

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)