Thousands of Charedim broke a blockade to celebrate Lag B’omer at Mount Meron on Monday night, despite security fears as Hezbollah fire keeps pounding Israel’s north.
Thousands more were turned away by police, who had said only residents of the area could celebrate the holiday at the resting place of the 2nd-century Jewish sage Shimon Bar Yochai.
Usually, the event draws around 100,000 worshippers to pray and light bonfires.
Images and video showed some Charedim cutting wire fencing to enter the area blocked off by police.
Restrictions on the gathering followed a change in IDF Home Front Command safety instructions, which have limited outdoor public gatherings to 200 people and indoor gatherings to 600 people, down from 1,500.
Tragedy struck in 2021 when a crowd crush at the site saw 45 people killed and 150 injured in the stampede, including children.
Meanwhile, dozens of Charedi protesters demonstrated outside the IDF induction base at Tel Hashomer, campaigning against compulsory military service and the arrest of draft evaders.
One of the protesters told Kan News: “We don’t just oppose the army - we oppose the very existence of the state. Therefore, we believe not only that those who study should not enlist, but that even those who do not study must not enlist.”
Last week, Charedim from Jerusalem broke into the home of the commander of the military police in Ashkelon, while his family was present. Twenty-five suspects were arrested.
IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir condemned the incident, calling it "crossing a dangerous red line,” adding: “Action is required by all security agencies."
That same week, the attorney-general, Gali Baharav-Miara, announced that Charedi yeshivahs where conscription dodging students study will not be able to receive tax-exempt donations.
On Sunday, the deadline for Charedi entry into religious battalions, the enlistment drive ended in disappointment. The IDF had prepared for a significant recruitment cycle, but fewer recruits arrived at enlistment offices than expected.
According to Ynet, fewer than 100 recruits arrived for the Netzah Yehuda Battalion, despite more than 140 having registered. About 70 arrived for the Hasmonean Brigade, despite expectations of around 100 recruits. There were also enlistments for the Hetz Company, a Charedi paratroopers unit, and other tracks.
The IDF, fighting across multiple fronts including Syria, Lebanon and Gaza, now faces a shortage of between 12,000-15,000 troops, with the chief of staff warning of "severe harm" to military readiness and a potential "collapse" of the reserve force due to sustained multi-front operations.
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