Families of the victims of the Mount Meron disaster in a letter to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday called for an official commission of inquiry to be established to find those responsible for Israel's biggest civilan tragedy.
The stampede during the Lag BaOmer celebrations last month left 45 worshippers dead and more than 150 injured. The stampede is believed to have occurred due to poor planning of the event, which did not have enough passageways set up to prevent massive overcrowding.
In the letter, families of the victims said only an independent probe headed by a Supreme Court justice, would yield the necessary results in finding those at fault. "We believe only such an inquiry will be able to conduct a thorough search for the truth," they wrote.
The families also alluded to efforts by Haredi parties to limit the scope of the probe. "Unfortunately, we are hearing voices opposed to an independent commission. Our aim is to prevent the next disaster and to see that those responsible for the tragedy are brought to justice," they said.
They added that representatives of the families must be included in the commission to protect the interests and preserve the lifestyle of the Haredi community.
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Rescue workers embrace after 45 people died in a stampede on Mount Meron late last month
(Photo: Moshe Mizrahi)
The stampede occurred on April 30, when thousands of ultra-Orthodox worshipers began leaving the Toldos Aharon compound. The narrow path, the compound's only exit, is said to have been slippery and after the first people to leave, slipped and fell, they were crushed by those who followed.
Police later came under fire for allowing the event to proceed despite overcrowding, but the tragedy was also blamed on government ministries and local authorities, as well as on the endowments charged with managing the site.
On Monday, the Knesset Arrangements Committee was set to vote on a proposal to form a state commission, in a motion tabled by the Yesh Atid party that has the majority vote. But, the ultra-Orthodox legislators said they prefer to establish a panel - which would have less authority - to conduct a more limited public probe.
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Personal belongings of some of the victims of the Meron disaster left on the ground
(Photo: Courtesy)
If such a panel was to be establsihed, however, its members would be appointed by Aryeh Deri, the leader of the ultra-Orthodox Shas party, which may bear some of the responsibility for the disaster as it controls the Religious Affairs Ministry as well as the Interior Ministry.
It also emerged that prior to the festival, the leader of the Shas party passionately argued and "fought like a lion" during a cabinet meeting to allow the festival to go ahead unimpeded despite coronavirus restrictions on gatherings that were still in place at the time.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he supports a thorough investigation into the tragedy but did not commit to a commission of inquiry. During his time as the premier, he has never established such a commission into any event.