Anatomy of a disaster: What happened at Mount Meron

Welcome to The Times of Israel’s Daily Briefing, your 15-minute audio update on what’s happening in Israel, the Middle East, and the Jewish world, from Sunday through Thursday. Today’s panel comprises editor David Horovitz and senior analyst Haviv Rettig Gur, along with host Amanda Borschel-Dan. On today's show, we focus solely on the disaster that took place on Mount Meron in the early hours of Friday morning, in which 45 people were crushed to death, including over a dozen children and teenagers. What is the significance of the site, Israel's second most popular pilgrimage destination, and the Lag B'Omer festival during which the disaster took place? And how have police allowed the annual celebration, Israel's largest, to take place without adequate oversight? Representing the country's deadliest-ever civilian disaster, the fatal tragedy appears to be forcing a reckoning within the ultra-Orthodox community over the benefits of the relative autonomy the community holds over various issues. Could the disaster represent a turning point? And what of the state authorities, beyond the police, who were meant to be in charge of the event but appeared to have passed off responsibility for it to each other? Where does the buck lie? Discussed articles include: ‘Death trap’: Packed walkway, slippery metal floor – how Meron tragedy unfolded Victims of Meron tragedy include 2 sets of brothers, father of 11, 6 US citizens Israel enters day of mourning for 45 victims of Meron stampede Mount Meron, the disaster everyone knew was waiting to happen Meron disaster site revealed as a place where nobody was ever really in charge After tragedy, reports emerge that politicians pressed not to limit Meron event State comptroller warned for years of overcrowding danger at Meron site Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on iTunes, Spotify, PlayerFM, Google Play, or wherever you get your podcasts. PHOTO: A man weeps at the funeral of Rabbi Eliezer Goldberg, who died during Lag B’Omer celebrations at Mt. Meron in northern Israel, in Jerusalem on Friday, April 30, 2021. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.