Beijing News (Reporter Luan Ruoxi) No one expected that a religious commemorative event that sang and danced would turn into a tragedy that shocked the whole of Israel.
In the early morning of April 30 local time, a stampede occurred at a religious event in Meilong Mountain in northern Israel. The Israeli health department said that the accident has killed at least 45 people and injured more than 150 people.
This is the largest public gathering held by Israel since the outbreak of the new crown epidemic. About 100,000 people gathered on Meilong Mountain to hold religious activities.
On the day of the accident, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu rushed to the scene to inspect the situation. Subsequently, the Israeli Prime Minister's Office issued a statement, setting May 2 as the National Day of Mourning to mourn the victims of the Meilongshan stampede accident.
stampede accident caused dissatisfaction among the Israeli people with the government. The public questioned why the government still authorized to hold large-scale religious activities in the context of the new crown epidemic, and some people accused the government of ignoring security risks and caused the tragedy to occur. The stampede is also expected to have some political impact, which may bring a fatal blow to Netanyahu's political career.
Netanyahu called it "one of the most tragic disasters in Israel's history"
Every year during this season, tens of thousands of Israeli people go to Mount Meilong to commemorate Rabbi Shimon BarYochai, a 2nd century saint and Jewish mystic, who is believed to be buried on this mountain. (Rabbi: The wise man in Jewish culture plays an important role in religious culture)
In the early morning of April 30th local time, religious activities were carried out as usual, and crowds under the night sky gathered together to sing and dance, and light bonfires.
The situation suddenly took a sharp turn, and the lively religious ceremony turned into a tragic scene.
Israeli religious activity stampede occurred, killing at least 45 people. /CNN report screenshot
"It all happened in a moment, and it was undoubtedly a disaster." An eyewitness told Israel's Haaretz.
According to the on-site video, a large number of people were crowded in steep and narrow passages. Witnesses told " New York Times " that people tried to pass through the narrow passage, and people in front of the team were pushed and tripped by the crowd behind, and many people fell on the metal ground. There was still a lot of water and grape juice spilled on the ground. The ground became very smooth and more and more people fell down soon. The scene was in chaos, and the stampede occurred.
However, the specific and exact cause of the accident is still under investigation.
Israeli health department said the stampede has killed at least 45 people and injured more than 150 people, including children.
"The stampede in Mount Meilong is one of the most tragic disasters in Israel's history, and it is heartbreaking," said Netanyahu. He added that on May 2 local time, Israel will hold a mourning ceremony for the victims of the stampede accident in Meilong Mountain.
The first large-scale gathering activity approved since the COVID-19 epidemic
Many people are puzzled why this large-scale crowd gathering activity was approved during the COVID-19 epidemic?
In fact, due to the impact of the new crown epidemic, the relevant commemorative activities last year have been cancelled. According to the New York Times, Israeli authorities even arrested more than 300 people who ignored the police patrol site and insisted on going to gather.
Recently, the steady progress of anti-epidemic activities may gradually make the Israeli government let go of its worries. According to Bloomberg statistics, as of now, Israel's vaccination activities have been progressing rapidly, with 56.3% of the people vaccinated, and the infection rate of new coronary pneumonia is gradually declining. Earlier this month, Israel lifted the mandatory outdoor mask wearing rules, and schools have also opened full-time.
Netanyahu checks the accident scene. / Screenshot of the New York Times report
According to CNN, in this context, despite Israeli health officials warning that holding pilgrimage commemorations may lead to an increase in confirmed cases of COVID-19 and urged people not to attend, the government still approved the event.
As a result, this has become the first large-scale religious gathering in Israel since the COVID-19 pandemic.
An Israeli police spokesman told local news media that the overall capacity of Meilong Mountain is similar to that of a few years ago, but this time, to prevent the spread of the new coronavirus, the bonfire area was separated. On April 30, local time, religious leaders said that these preventive measures may be partially responsible for the stampede. After the stampede accident, it triggered the public's accountability for the Israeli government. Netanyahu promises a thorough, serious and in-depth investigation to ensure that similar catastrophic events do not happen again.
Multiple reports point out that there are potential hidden dangers in Meilong Mountain
In fact, there has been a long forecast about the potential risks in Meilong Mountain Road.
For more than a decade, people have been worried that the facilities on Meilong Mountain are not enough to accommodate thousands of pilgrims. An audit report in 2008 pointed out that the roads in the Meilong Mountain pilgrimage area are narrow and are not suitable for tens of thousands of people to visit, which may cause danger.
Witnesses of stampede said that the crowded passage was a path mentioned in the 2008 audit report.
In addition, a similar report was issued in 2013. Police commanders in the area at that time wrote in an official report that Meilong Mountain could only accommodate 10,000 pilgrims safely, and warned that the complex that had a stampede was one of the most dangerous places near Meilong Mountain.
Although Meilongshan’s security infrastructure has been repeatedly warned that it cannot afford a large number of people, the local area has not introduced relevant restrictions.
Israel is about to hold national mourning. / Screenshot of the New York Times report
The reason is that on the one hand, there are certain shortcomings in the management of the pilgrimage site. The 2008 audit report pointed out that the expansion and changes of the pilgrimage site and surrounding buildings were carried out without authorization without approval from the local regional planning and construction committee.
This also triggered a debate about the management of the Meilong Mountain pilgrimage site. Yossi Elituv, editor of Israeli magazine "Mishpacha", pointed out that extreme orthodox needs to "learn lessons" and take back the management of the pilgrimage complex from private religious trusts and associations, and the area should be managed uniformly by the state authorities.
On the other hand, the management of Meilong Mountain pilgrimage site may be affected by political factors. Shlomo Levy, a former Israeli official, said he had been forced to cancel an order he had drafted in 2008 that pointed out that some of the surrounding complexes of pilgrimage were required to be closed for security reasons.
Shlomo Levy told Israel Public Radio that "that place (Merlong Pilgrimage Site) is a hot potato." Most of the people who went to the pilgrimage were extremely orthodox Jewish , and the extremely orthodox gang has been a key member of Netanyahu's ruling coalition.
After four elections in two years, Netanyahu is now at a critical moment in forming a cabinet. The New York Times analyzed that he urgently needed the continued support of the extremely orthodoxists and treated the extremely orthodoxists particularly relaxed in pilgrimage activities. Many secular Jews condemn the government for adopting lax management measures to cater to extremely orthodox schools. The statement of "political intervention" like
has also been refuted. "At least as far as I know, the Meilong Mountain pilgrimage management has not been subject to political interference."
The stampede is also expected to have some political impact. Middle East News Media Al Monitor News website analyzed that despite huge risks and security warnings, the government and police approved the religious activity. Netanyahu "boasted" that his life has returned to normal and politicians failed to take necessary security measures to prevent the tragedy. As Netanyahu is losing its political charm, the stampede may bring a fatal blow to Netanyahu's political career.
Beijing News reporter Luan Ruoxi
Editor Zhang Lei Proofreading Lu Qian
