Two days before the yahrtzeit of their relatives, nine families who lost relatives in the Meron disaster filed a civil lawsuit against a number of public and private entities.
The lawsuit for tens of millions of shekels was filed on Monday in the Haifa District Court.
The lawsuit was filed by the Elhadad family, who lost two sons in the disaster, Moshe Mordechai, z’l, and Yosef Dovid, z’l, the families of Yosef Yehuda Levy, z’l, Nachman Kirshenbaum, z’l, Moshe Levy, z’l, and Yishai Mualem, z’l, all minor children, as well as the family members of Simcha Bunim Diskind, z’l, Ariel Tzadik, z’l, Mordechai Pekete, z’l, and Shragee Gestetner, z’l [a US citizen].
The relatives are suing a long list of government bodies, including the Israel Police, the Public Security Ministry, Interior Ministry, Religious Affairs Ministry, Tourism Ministry, Economy Ministry, the National Center for the Development of Holy Places, the National Fire and Rescue Authority, the Meron HaGalil Regional Council and Magen David Adom.
In addition, the lawsuit was filed against the Meron Moshav, The Committee of Five for the Management of Rashbi, the Va’ad Hahekdashus Hekdesh HaEidah HaAshkenazis in Meron, the Hekdesh of the Eidah HaSephardis in Tzefas and Meron, and the engineer Amar Khalaila and his company BCS Engineering and Safety, who approved the safety of Gesher Dov, the ramp on which the disaster occurred.
The lawsuit accuses the defendants of deliberately ignoring safety risks to the public.
The families are demanding tens of millions of shekels in compensation for pain and suffering of the dead, punitive damages, and bereavement compensation.
In addition, a number of families are suing for additional compensation for damages, including members of Shraga Gestetner’s family, who are demanding NIS 4.5 million in compensation for his lost income as a singer.
(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)
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3 Responses
Why are they suing Magen David Adom??
Do any of these claims have basis in Choshen Mishpot? Have they received permission from the Beis Din to go to secular court?
I also wondered about suing in Halocho, against the goverment is fine but against some of th authorities is a real issue in Halocho, but then i realised that the ones suing are Charedi families and we have a mitzva Mina haTorah to be Don lkaf zechus. I am confident that they asked competent rabbonim the relevant shailos and all is being done al pi halocho.
I do, however, commend those posters that brought up this issue, and pointed out the halachic problem. Certainly no lessons should be learnt from here. Each case must be judged according the individual circumstances.