Sunday, 18 Iyar 5773 – 10:55 IL: Tens of thousands of visitors to Meron for Lag B’Omer are stranded, unable to head home as the roadways are simply congested to the point that nothing is moving in either direction. MK (Yahadut HaTorah) Uri Maklev has already announced “There can be no explanation” that can explain away what is taking place as buses heading to Meron are backed up for miles, stuck in a crawl and the roads leading from Meron to return people to their homes are blocked. Maklev calls for holding the officials responsible for the failure personally responsible.
Many aboard buses heading to Meron began davening shachris earlier as they realized traffic was at a standstill. Thousands of others began walking kilometers instead of sitting on buses that are not moving. This created an even more difficult situation on the roadways.
It appears many more motorists decided to come on their own and the allotted parking lots filled to capacity too quickly. At some point, perhaps too late, realizing what was taking place police began diverting private vehicles to Tzfas and arranging for shuttles from Tzfas to Meron.
Fire department officials have begun working to provide potable water due to the heat wave and difficult conditions for the many stranded in buses or waiting for buses to head home. EMS organizations are doing their utmost to assist.
Egged officials confirm that literally hundreds of buses are stuck in traffic jams heading to Meron at this time.
Police estimate over 200,000 people have already arrived in Meron, well within the predicted numbers, yet Israel Police appears to have lost control over the roadways. The existing conditions heading to and from Meron are being described as “catastrophic” by some with no solution in sight.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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13 Responses
I just came from Meron. They are NOT kidding – it really IS that bad.
things were fine last year
the busses got there
and the dancing wasnt blocked by israels version of black squads
shame!!
I just returned from Meron to Tsfat, and the traffic situation is nothing less than atrocious. To say the police have lost control is assuming they once had it. On the way to Meron last night the traffic was so incredibly backed up, and I personally saw that the policeman were not taking control of the situation to alleviate the traffic jams. They were just watching it happen. There needed to be people who know how to actively keep the traffic moving and they were simply not to be found. Very, very chaval -the situation did not have to be this way
One of them was me!It`s crazy what went on there!
We stood for hours to get onto a bus and the traffic was non ending….
i just got back from miron i waited by the bus stop at 5AM to go to jerusalem and only 3 buses came and people litterally beat eachother up to get on the bus their were probabley 3000 people waiting to go to jerusalem and only 120 people got on buses luckily i got on the 3rd bus people held a protest in middle of the street blocking and sitting in middle of the road thinking it would get egged to send more buses but instead police brought in riot horses to control the protesting crowd resulting in more traffic and chaos finnaly as the bus hit the road i counted a traffic jam going up the hill to miron at 10;15AM a total of 298 buses plus a bunch of ambulance and police personal stuck in traffic all the way to the walkway to the tzion
Egged is to blame, they had enough buses for 100 thiusand, by early sunday over 200 thousand had made their way to miron. They didn’t take into account the 1000’s that spent shabbos in Miron. The police couldn’t get more manpower in, and the system collspaed.
The police had no crows control and used vilance. The commete for internal affairs has been called to discuss this matter and will meet in 2 weeks time
This is horrible, plans for next year have to include NO NO private vehicles.
Where does it say in the Torah Hakdosha that its a chiyuv to go to “Meron” for Lag BeOmer? This is getting out of hand just like “Uman”. Is this just the latest “fad” of the bored amongst us? Is this one of those things a person “must do” while he’s still alive on this world? Its not even so pashut that a person can “dance” around a fire, anywhere. Its a shtikel avoda zara, like the Indians do. What do you think the whole “Indian hair sheitlach” controversy was all about?
May be reported as the annual lag baomer traffic jams.
Nothing get involved you obviously didn`t daven well enough and elevated yourself like most of us do in Meron
To “not getting involved”:
If you haven’t been to Meron or Uman on either occasion, please do us all a favor and keep your ignorant comments to yourself. To see how a Tsadik is capable of uniting hundreds of thousands of people religious and non religious should just teach you the strength of a Tsadik. If anything, being there today like I was, the only words that come to my mind is Ashreichem Yisroel!
It has become more like Woodstock than a religious pilgrimage…
My daughter waited 5 hours just to get into the bus… Why she davka had to go..don’t ask me.