Israel’s State Comptroller Matanyahu Englman announced on Monday that he is opening a special investigation into the Meron tragedy, one of the worst civilian disasters in Israeli history.
Israel’s State Comptroller acts as a watchdog to the Israeli government and works in conjunction with the State Audit Committee of the Knesset.
“This was a disaster that could have been prevented,” Englman said at a press conference. “Now it is up to us to evaluate and investigate how it could have been prevented.”
Englman said his office had published a condemnatory report of the Meron site in 2008, which stated that the site was hazardous and recommended steps to improve the safety conditions on the mountain. When nothing was done, his office published another report in 2011.
He added that both reports found that no government authority has ultimate responsibility for the site or for religious gatherings, that the maintenance of the site was lacking and that the infrastructure was inadequate. “There were structures built without permits and not in accordance with codes, and access roads and emergency routes were not in accordance with standards.”
“If the proper action had been taken then, last week’s disaster would not have taken place,” he asserted.
Englman said that if the government establishes its own probe, he may review whether his office’s probe is still relevant. He added that if his probe finds evidence of criminal liability, he will name those responsible and pass his findings to Attorney-General Avichai Mandelblit.
[MERON VICTIMS: 24 Bochurim And Boys, 4 Mir Talmidim, At Least 6 US Citizens, 2 Canadians]
[HEARTBREAKING: List Of Niftarim R”L Killed In Meron Crush Released]
[How Exactly Did The Terrible Disaster At Meron Occur?]
[Father’s Heartrending Hesped For His Son: “You’re Now In Rebbe Shimon’s Yeshiva”]
[WATCH: 10-Yr.-Old Meron Survivor: “I Cried Out Shema Yisrael”]
[“People Were Crushed To Death Before My Eyes” – Survivors Of The Harrowing Scenes Talk]
[Chareidi Reporter Warned Of This Very Tragedy In 2018!]
[State Comptroller Says He’s Launching Probe Of Meron Disaster]
[The Chilling Letter A Meron Victim Left Before His Death]
[Last Meron Victim Is Buried After His Parents Arrive From Argentina]
[HEARTBREAKING IMAGE: Child Of Meron Victim Makes Toy Representing His Father Z”L]
[11-Year-Old Seriously Injured At Meron Is Released From The Hospital]
[CHILLING: Look What Was Found Inside Siddur Of Victim Of Meron Tragedy]
[Journalist Published Eye-Witness Reports Which May Explain How The Trampling in Meron Began]
[Meron Victims: Elhadad Brothers, 12 & 18, Buried Next To Rashbi]
[One Of The Meron Victims Was MK Eichler’s Brother-In-Law]
(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)
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4 Responses
Oh, so we’re gonna go lay all the blame on poor infrastructure now?? While I am sure Meron was never safe, the primary focus must be on what actually caused this specific tragedy and that seems more and more clear that it was very poor actions on the part of the police. Yes, improve infrastructure but let’s not distract from who actually caused these beautiful neshamos to no longer be among the living.
This is a general comment to the editors of Yeshiva World, if there are any. What happened in Meron was NOT a stampede. People were trapped because the exit was blocked, for some reason. They were crushed to death. A person, or perhaps a few, slipped and fell. And then the rest toppled over. We are not cattle, going to slaughter. Of all papers, you who are supposed to report for the frum community should know better than to degrade us by labeling this terrible tragedy with a word that makes it sound like yidden just stomped all over each other, with no regard to life. Just because the Torah haters within us and outside prefer to use this label…you should join them? It will be remembered Above, your slander. And I promise, we will never forget it, or forgive.
let’s see if he points any blame at the police who blocked exits
100,000 people packed in like sardines in a super spreader event. How did we get it so wrong? “Ushemartem Meod Al Nafsotechem”