Jerusalem and Heritage Minister Meir Porush on Sunday withdrew his resignation from his position as the minister responsible for the Meron event, less than a week after he announced he is resigning after it became clear that his authority over the event was being challenged by officials from the Religious Services Ministry and the Center for Holy Places.

The move came after the government’s weekly Cabinet meeting, at which Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s proposal to transfer all powers for the production of the Meron event to Porush was approved.

Following the meeting, a joint statement from Porush and Netanyahu stated: “Minister Porush informed Prime Minister Netanyahu that the letter of resignation from the responsibility of the Meron event 2023 that he submitted to the prime minister last week is revoked, and in light of receiving the necessary powers, he will continue to bear responsibility for the event in the coming year.”

Porush said: “I thank the prime minister for his quick intervention and significant activities in recent days in order to bring about an immediate solution to the crisis and work toward the success of the Lag B’Omer event at Meron.

“I revoke my resignation notice, and intend to continue what I already started with the project manager Yossi Deitch – to do the maximum to improve the event for the sake of preserving the tradition for hundreds of years, subject to the safety instructions.”

Netanyahu stated: “I want to commend Minister Porush for taking on the responsibility of carrying out a safe and happy Lag B’Omer event and the implementation of the recommendations of the state commission of inquiry into the Meron disaster.

“Porush’s success is a shared mission of the entire government and I am instructing the relevant parties to cooperate and assist him.”

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)