JERUSALEM, Israel – An independent Israeli commission said Tuesday that former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and several senior officials could be partially responsible for a stampede that killed 45 people and injured at least 150 others at a religious festival last year.
The incident took place in April 2021 at Mt. Meron in northern Galilee, where some 100,000 mostly Ultra-Orthodox Jews gathered for a festival.
Hundreds of attendees were squeezed into a bottleneck on a slippery slope, causing people to fall. The deadly stampede that ensued was Israel’s worst-ever civilian disaster and followed repeated warnings about overcrowding at the site.
The commission investigating the tragedy said Netanyahu “knew, or should have known” about longstanding safety concerns at Meron because the issue had been raised with the government prior to the deadly stampede.
“Former prime minister Netanyahu did not act as expected of a prime minister to correct the situation,” the commission charged, adding that he “did not ensure effective monitoring of the government’s handling of the matter.”
Netanyahu testified last month and said he was not responsible for safety measures at the site and claimed he only got involved in safety-related discussions because of the coronavirus pandemic. At the time of the disaster, the Health Ministry restricted attendance at outdoor events to 500 people. Netanyahu also claimed he did more than his predecessors to address concerns at Meron.
In addition to Netanyahu, the commission on Tuesday also issued warnings to former Public Security Minister Amir Ohana, former Religious Affairs Minister Rabbi Yaakov Avitan, and Israel’s current police chief, Yaakov Shabtai.
All of the leaders involved will have the opportunity to testify again before the commission releases its final report, which is expected later this year.
Last week, Israel Police Northern District Chief Shimon Lavi accepted responsibility for the disaster and resigned.
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