Police were seen pushing an elderly man to the ground, hitting an elderly woman, and firing into the air as they worked to remove pilgrims who had forced their way onto Mount Meron on Sunday to mark Lag Ba'Omer, despite an order by Home Front Command closing the area to the public due to the danger of rocket fire from Hezbollah targeting the area.
Crowds of thousands of pilgrims arrived at the site on Sunday, clashing with police who worked to enforce Home Front Command directives. Over 1,000 people had been removed from the site as of Sunday evening, with thousands more blocked on their way to the site. On Sunday afternoon, pilgrims tried to illegally light bonfires at Mount Meron. Firefighters worked to extinguish the fires.
תיעוד מהר מירון: חרדים מתבצרים בקבר הרשב"י למרות איסור הצבא, עימותים פרצו עם המשטרה@yoeli_brim pic.twitter.com/tmh06rzdPc
— גלצ (@GLZRadio) May 26, 2024
Nineteen police officers were wounded in the clashes and transferred for medical treatment after rioters threw iron rods, glass, and various objects at them.
מחריד: שוטר מגב הטיח אדם מבוגר על הרצפה במירוןהשימוש לפי סעיף 27א' לחוק זכויות יוצרים pic.twitter.com/iOYqoK2pFg
— ישראל היום (@IsraelHayomHeb) May 26, 2024
A video shared online showed a police officer pushing an elderly man to the ground as he was leading him away from the site. Israel Police stressed that they "take the conduct seriously." The police added that they would review the other incidents that occurred throughout the day and would learn lessons accordingly. Later, the police decided to suspend the officer in question, as well as an officer who hit an elderly woman and an officer who fired in the air.
"We reiterate that the special measures and assessments of Israel Police are intended to ensure the safety and security of the public. Since the beginning of the war, dozens of rockets have been fired in the direction of Mount Meron, and a large number of them have fallen at points where tens of thousands of people have passed through over the years," said police.
Ministers express outrage at police brutality
Jerusalem and Tradition Minister Meir Porush expressed outrage at the incident, saying "The shocking sight of Border Police officer violently knocking an elderly Jew to the ground or another policeman shooting into the air at a civilian event pinches everyone's heart and is unacceptable. I demand that the violent police officers be fired immediately."
Culture Minister Miki Zohar called the footage "shocking," calling for an immediate investigation. Zohar stressed that even though visiting the site was illegal, "nothing justifies such behavior."
National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir said that he had demanded clarification from the police about cases of suspected police brutality at Mount Meron, including the shoving of the elderly man and a case in which an officer fired in the air.
"I strongly condemn cases of police violence against citizens. During the whole day I gave full support to the police, Border Police officers, and the security forces who did everything to protect Mount Meron from a real danger to lives. But there is no escape from issuing condemnations and demanding that the police hold [those responsible] accountable when there are unusual recordings when it comes to violence against the helpless, adults and women," said Ben-Gvir.
Home Front Command warns of dangers at Mount Meron
Earlier this month, the Home Front Command stated that "Despite the great importance of the event and the longstanding tradition to hold it, and in accordance with the updated situation assessments, it is not possible to hold the event the way it has been held in the past, and it is not possible to allow a gathering like this at the site."
The commander of Home Front Command noted at the time that the large number of participants who usually take part in the event, as well as the location of the site, the security threat posed to the public in the area, the Hezbollah attacks that have targeted Mount Meron during the war, and the lack of proper bomb shelters at the site, were taken into account when making the decision to cancel the event.
Mount Meron area targeted repeatedly by Hezbollah
Since October 7th, Hezbollah has fired dozens of rockets toward the Mount Meron area on several occasions.
The directives issued by Home Front Command are legally binding, and violating them is a criminal offense.
Due to the security threat in the area, the government set aside a budget of about NIS 10 million to secure a small celebration held on Saturday night and to enforce the Home Front Command order on Mount Meron and in the surrounding areas, according to Israeli media.
Lag Ba'Omer is marked by Jews around the world by lighting bonfires and other festivities. Besides for the anniversary of Bar Yochai's death, the day also marks when a plague that swept through the students of the sage Rabbi Akiva ended. The weeks leading up to Lag Ba'Omer are marked with some mourning customs by many Jews, including not listening to live music, not getting haircuts, and not having marriages, although there are varying customs concerning when and how these customs are kept.
The last time the pilgrimage was heavily restricted was in 2020, during the peak of the coronavirus pandemic. The event was still held, but attendance was heavily restricted due to the outbreak of the virus. In 2021, police attempted to implement restrictions as well to try and avoid a renewed outbreak of the coronavirus, but tens of thousands of people were still allowed to take part in the pilgrimage. During the 2021 pilgrimage, disaster struck when a deadly crowd crush occurred, killing 45 people and injuring over 100 others.