Is Meron safe this Lag Ba'Omer? Or will history repeat?

The Israeli government said that it is increasing efforts to ensure safety on Har Meron this year, four years after the overcrowding disaster that led to dozens of deaths and a damning commission of inquiry report.

According to the official statement:

"The preparations for the Lag BaOmer celebration in Meron are advancing to the next level: The Ministry of Jerusalem and Israeli Tradition has completed the paving of "Hillel's Path" – a new exit path behind Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai's tomb, which includes stairs and safety railings, designed to improve crowd flow and reduce congestion at the holy site.

"The work, initiated by the Minister of Jerusalem and Israeli Tradition, Meir Porush, the celebration's project manager Yossi Deutsch, and the ministry's professional staff led by CEO Shimon Album and Deputy CEO Chaim Rosenstein, is part of comprehensive lessons learned from the loss of life in previous years, and special preparations for a year when Lag BaOmer falls on Friday – similar to the year of the disaster.

"As part of the upgrade, new and expanded access paths were arranged, staircases divided into sections were built, and railings were installed to secure passage. The goal: to open up the existing bottlenecks around the holy site, enhance traffic safety, and allow for a larger crowd in a "conveyor belt" method — in a flowing, orderly, and safe manner."