This year’s annual Lag Ba’omer celebrations were opened in Mount Meron with a ceremonial lighting of candles, in memory of the 45 victims in the stampede during the Lag Ba’omer festivities in 2021.

During preparations for the festival, the police on Monday arrested suspects in the attack against two Druze security guards on Mount Meron last Saturday, Hebrew media reported.

Health and Interior Minister Moshe Arbel visited one of the victims, Hamud Shafi, in the hospital on Monday. Arbel strongly condemned the attack and wished the injured a full recovery. He added that such actions are contrary to the values of the Torah and the teachings of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai. 

The two security guards suffered moderate and light injuries respectively, after the drunk suspects allegedly attacked them after hearing them speak in Arabic.

Ben-Gvir and Shabtai fly to Mount Meron

National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Police Chief Yaakov Shabtai flew from Jerusalem to Mount Meron via helicopter to oversee the preparations for the annual celebrations, which began on Monday and will last into Tuesday evening.