Prime Minister Netanyahu signed emergency Home Front Command restrictions Friday afternoon placing strict new limits on gatherings in the Meron region ahead of Lag B’Omer.
Under the order, outdoor gatherings of more than 200 people will be prohibited in Meron and surrounding communities.
The decision followed intelligence and operational assessments presented by the Home Front Command to Netanyahu and Defense Minister Katz prompting authorities to downgrade the Meron region and nearby communities from “green” to “yellow” alert status.
According to the new directives, gatherings will only be permitted for up to 200 people outdoors and up to 600 people indoors.
The restrictions took effect Friday at 1:00 p.m. and will remain in place until Monday, May 4, 2026, at 8:00 p.m. The affected areas include the confrontation-line region as well as Meron, Bar Yochai, Or HaGanuz, and Safsufa, all of which are now classified under partial activity status.
The immediate implication is that the extensive framework prepared by the Ministry of Jerusalem and Jewish Tradition for the annual Lag B’Omer hilula at the kever of Rav Shimon Bar Yochai is no longer feasible, and the event will now take place in an extremely limited format.
Just Thursday afternoon, another impact was identified in an open area beneath Meron — an incident officials say has occurred multiple times in recent weeks amid ongoing security tensions in northern Israel.
Meanwhile, thousands of people are already in Meron for the Shabbos preceding the hilula despite the dramatic new restrictions.
As previously reported, Hilula Project Coordinator Yossi Deitsch said in an interview with “B’Chadrei Chareidim” that he would step down from managing the event if it were forced to take place in a significantly limited format.
(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
