The state commission of inquiry into the Meron disaster summoned its first witnesses last week to testify to the commission members.

The summoned witnesses are Northern District Police Commander Shimon Lavie, former Israel Police deputy commissioner Alon Asur; the Rav of the Kosel and Holy Sites of Israel HaRav Shmuel Rabinowitz; the head of the National Center for the Development of Holy Places Yosef Schwinger; head of the Committee of Five which administers Meron Eli Friend; and the head of the northern branch of the National Center for the Development of Holy Places Yisrael Deri.

The dates for their testimonies have not yet been scheduled.

Also last week, the members of the Meron Commission toured the Meron site for the first time.

The members of the commission, former Supreme Court President Miriam Naor, Maj.-Gen. (res.) Shlomo Yanai, and former Bnei Brak mayor Rav Mordechai Karelitz, had requested to tour the site in order to garner a first-hand impression of the scene of the incident, especially the pathways leading to and from the site and the general state of the infrastructure at the site.

The committee members stopped at “Gesher Dov,” where the tragedy took place, and the Toldos Aharon hadlaka area.

They then walked around the entire Har Meron site and the kever of Rav Shimon Bar Yochai and listened to explanations about the existing structures, structures to be demolished and the layout of the area around the mountain. They also heard a description of the exits and entrances to and from Moshav Meron from security and emergency evacuation viewpoints.

The commission members were accompanied by representatives of Israel Police, including deputy police commander of the Northern District Micha Tubul; Deputy State Attorney Orit Koteve; legal adviser to the National Center for the Development of Holy Places Erez Ben-David; director of the Meron HaGalil Regional Council Keren Petel; Deputy Director of the National Unit for Enforcing Planning and Construction Laws Pablo Aspino; and head of the Committee of Five which administers Meron Eli Friend.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)