In a major development impacting this year’s Lag BaOmer gathering at Meron, the IDF Home Front Command announced Sunday night strict new restrictions limiting gatherings in the area to just 1,500 people at a time.

The directive applies to the Meron region and surrounding communities, effectively eliminating the possibility of holding the traditional mass event that typically draws hundreds of thousands.

The announcement follows a high-level meeting earlier in the day led by Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, where senior ministers debated whether the event could proceed. Reports indicated strong opposition to a full-scale hilula, with Netanyahu pushing for a dramatically scaled-down gathering.

With the new security restrictions now in place, only a limited number of participants will be allowed on the mountain at any given time. It remains unclear how permits will be distributed.

Separately, it was confirmed that the widely attended central lighting ceremony led by Rabbi Elimelech Biderman will not take place in Meron this year. Instead, it is expected to be held in Jerusalem at a large outdoor venue, where organizers are preparing to accommodate tens of thousands.

The decision comes amid heightened security tensions in northern Israel and ongoing concerns about large-scale gatherings in the region.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)