Tragedy On Mount Meron - 45 killed and more than 150 injured in one of the deadliest disasters in the history of the country, at the traditional Lag Ba’Omer Mass Pilgrimage: the scope of the disaster is still unfolding, as air and land rescue teams work to evacuate the severely injured from the site, and identify the victims. While people are still desperately searching for their loved ones, a heated debate is taking place on social media as to who is responsible for this calamity; the politicians who allowed an unlimited number of people to congregate at the site, the police commissioners who approved the event plan, with disregard for potential over crowding, or the forces on the ground who blocked some of the passages on site, causing a blockage. Police officials claimed in response that they should not be held accountable, nor could they predict the collapse of one of the temporary platforms, which initiated the tragic sequence of events. Many called for the establishment of an independent committee of inquiry, while thousands are still stranded on the mountain. The pilgrimage to Mount Meron, the burial site of Rabbi Shimon Bar-Yohai, a 2nd century sage and one of the vocal objectors to Roman rule, is the highlight of the Jewish holiday marking the 33rd day of the counting of the omer, between Passover and Pentecost (Shavuot).
The government declared a day of national mourning on Sunday.
Initial photos from the disaster scene.
At the Last Moment, Before the High Court of Justice ruled on the matter, PM Netanyahu Agreed to Nominate a Minister of Justice. Israeli politics broke another record this time on the constitutional front. PM Netanyahu decided to nominate a Minister of Justice from the Likud party, in violation of the current coalition agreement, according to which the Minister of Justice must be from the coalition partner party Kahol-Lavan (Blue-White). The Attorney General tried to warn PM Netanyahu and Likud members of government, but they refused to listen to him and bashed him aggressively. Part of this cabinet meeting was recorded and leaked to the media. The High Court of Justice suspended the nomination and just a few hours before ruling against the whole move by PM Netanyahu, he decided to relent. The government voted confirming Benny Gantz, Netanyahu’s rival, as Minister of Justice.
This created a constitutional crisis, that threatened to push Israel into even more chaotic political drama. The context of this lies also in the fact that PM Netanyahu is under indictment and on trial for corruption, therefore he cannot be responsible for any of the law enforcement agencies, including the Ministry of Justice, that nominate key figures like the Attorney General and others.
Meanwhile, PM Netanyahu’s mandate to form a coalition will end on Tuesday at midnight. He has tried all kinds of political maneuvers. When he fails, the mandate will probably be given to Yair Lapid, who leads the opposition. He will be tasked with assembling a puzzle from parts that don’t match.
The drama is still far from ending and the threat of a fifth round of elections is a definite possibility.
Armed forces in Gaza shot a series of Kassam rockets towards southern Israel at the beginning of the week, resulting in raised tensions among civilians and decision makers. Israel decided not to retaliate but rather to contain the events, so as not to escalate further. Instead, Israeli forces imposed a collective punishment on the fishermen of Gaza by further restricting the area in which they can fish. Later in the week this sanction was lifted. The cause of the tension is unclear. It may be a result of the violent clashes between Palestinians and Israelis in Jerusalem, or the coming general elections for the PA (Palestinian Authority), due May 18th. It is not yet known if the election will proceed as planned.
Meanwhile Israel had to deal with a new and critical report by Human Rights Watch accusing Israel of conducting a policy of apartheid towards the Palestinians in the occupied territories and towards the Arab citizens of Israel. The report also accused Israel of committing war crimes. Official Israelis and other supporters of Israel denied all accusations in the report.
Jerusalem Police Remove Barricade at Damascus Gate After Several Days of Violent Clashes: earlier this week, following violent clashes between police and the army near the Damascus Gate, the police removed the barricades blocking access to the stairs leading to the Damascus gate, where East Jerusalem Palestinians congregate during the month of Ramadan. On Saturday evening, while police and army forces besieged the area near the Damascus gate, several hundred peace and shared society activists protested in nearby Zion Square against racism and violence. Reporters and activists present at the scene at the Damascus gate documented violent arrests of Palestinian demonstrators, as sounds of fireworks and stun grenades were heard in the background. The tensions in East Jerusalem were also fueled by Israel’s refusal to allow the forthcoming elections for the Palestinian Authority to include the residents of East Jerusalem with polling stations in their area. This request, as some analysts say, is aimed at galvanizing the participation of Palestinian East Jerusalemites in the PA elections.
Yair Netanyahu, Son of the PM, Lashed out at Left Wing Organizations and Former PM Ehud Barak, in the Court Hearing on his Libel Suit and Counter Anti-Defamation Suit: The son of PM Netanyahu presented an insidious appearance in the Tel Aviv Magistrate Court this week, during questioning by the lawyers representing Molad, a progressive think tank, against which he filed a libel lawsuit. At the heart of the legal dispute, is a tweet by Molad, claiming that Yair Netanyahu enjoyed a lavish lifestyle, at the expense of the taxpayers, living at the PM official residence, and not holding a steady job. He responded with a tweet accusing Molad of being supported by anti-Israeli funders, seeking to destroy the state of Israel, for which Molad filed an anti-defamation suit against him. Testifying under oath, and in response to a question regarding the vehicle provided to him by the state, Netanyahu responded: “I do not have an armored car, I have a car the same as the one Ehud Barak the pedophile has”. Yair Netanyahu thus used the legal protection against libel suits for statements made in the context of testimony in court, to reiterate previous insinuations he has made against former PM Barak, for his connections with Jeffrey Epstein.
This was not the only legal case involving Yair Netanyahu this week; the Kfar Saba Magistrates Court ruled this week that he must pay 4,500 NIS in legal expenses to a young activist, who he insinuated had an affair with the chair of the Blue-White party. The court sessions in this case will resume, after the judge ruled that the lawsuit was submitted and brought to his attention.
For further reading:
Disaster in Mount Meron: Here, here, and here
Human Rights Report: Here, here, here