Netanyahu cancels Lag B’Omer pilgrimage over Hezbollah threats

Israel will sharply scale back one of its largest annual religious gatherings this year, as security concerns along the northern border continue despite a declared ceasefire with Hezbollah in Lebanon.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ordered the cancellation of the mass Lag B’Omer pilgrimage at Mount Meron, a site in northern Israel that typically draws hundreds of thousands of Israelis. Instead, the government said the traditional celebration at the tomb of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, a 2nd-century sage revered in Jewish mysticism, will take place in a limited, symbolic format, with details to be finalized closer to the date.

Lag B’Omer, which falls this year on the evening of May 4 and continues the following day, is marked by large bonfires, prayer gatherings and festivities, with Meron serving as the focal point of the celebrations. Authorities say the scale of the event poses significant risks under current conditions.

In an official directive issued after a series of security assessments, the Prime Minister’s Office cited “fear of a mass-casualty event due to the fragility of the ceasefire with Lebanon” as a central factor in the decision. The statement also pointed to the site’s proximity to the Lebanese border, ongoing rocket fire toward the area, and the difficulty of evacuating large crowds quickly in the event of an emergency.

The mountain, located in the Upper Galilee, is also the location of a sensitive military air traffic control base, which has been a frequent target for Hezbollah rockets and drones.

The decision aligns with restrictions currently imposed by the Israeli military’s Home Front Command, which has capped public gatherings at 1,500 people in communities near the northern border and around Mount Meron, including the nearby localities of Bar Yochai, Or HaGnuz and Safsufa.

 

Tensions along the northern frontier have persisted in recent days, with Israeli officials reporting continued Hezbollah rocket launches and drone activity from Lebanon. As a result, local authorities in border communities have taken additional measures independently of the central government. These measures include suspending public transportation and schools. A joint statement issued by several municipal leaders said the situation contradicts official claims of calm.

“Despite the declarations of a ceasefire, the reality on the ground proves that security has not been restored and the firing toward our communities continues,” the statement said.

Moshe Davidovich, head of the Mateh Asher Regional Council and chairman of a forum representing border communities, criticized what he described as a disconnect between national decision-makers and residents in the north. “The blood of our children is not in vain and we will not wait for a disaster to make life-saving decisions,” he said.

Forty-five people were killed and 150 people were injured in a stampede at the grave during Lag B’Omer celebrations in 2021. The tragedy, Israel’s worst civilian disaster, was triggered by a combination of overcrowded conditions and a faulty walkway in a narrow passage. A state commission of inquiry held Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu personally responsible.