The independent commission investigating a fatal stampede on a holiday in northern Israel last year said Tuesday that then-Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other senior officials would likely be partly to blame for the disaster.
The announcement may hurt Netanyahu, who is already on trial for corruption, ahead of the Nov. 1 election in which he hopes to become prime minister again. Netanyahu testified last month that he was not guilty of security measures at the site.
Netanyahu’s Likud party said it was “unfortunate” that the commission, which was appointed through the government that replaced it last year, issued the warning letters ahead of the election, implying it is biased.
Forty-five more people died in a fatal stampede on the devout Mount Meron holiday in April 2021, which was attended by some 100,000 mostly ultra-Orthodox Jews. It was the worst civilian crisis in Israel’s history and came amid long-standing warnings about security and overcrowding. on site.
The independent commission set up to investigate the crisis said Netanyahu, who had been prime minister for more than 12 years, “knew or had known” that the site had been poorly maintained for years.
“Former Prime Minister Netanyahu did not act as expected of a prime minister to correct the situation,” he said, adding that the factor had been raised with the government several times before the tragedy.
The commission issued warnings to Amir Ohana, former Minister of Public Security; Rabbi Yaakov Avitan, former minister of religious affairs, and Jacob Shabtai, the current Israeli police chief. They will have the opportunity to testify before the commission’s final report, which is expected in the coming months.
Last week, the head of the Israel Police’s Northern District, Shimon Lavi, resigned, accepting the disaster.
In his testimony before the commission last month, Netanyahu said he was not guilty of the security measures and had only intervened because of the coronavirus pandemic. At the time, the Ministry of Public Health limited attendance at outdoor events to 500 people.
Netanyahu also said he had done more than his predecessors to deal with security issues.
The independent commission is investigating primary protection deficiencies and overcrowding at the mountaintop site and has restricted the passage of people and revamped safety protocols and infrastructure.
Hundreds of other people found themselves stranded in a narrow passage down the mountain, and a slippery slope caused other people to stumble and fall. The resulting human avalanche killed another forty-five people and injured at least 150.
Netanyahu, Israel’s longest-serving prime minister, hopes to return after Israel held its fifth election in less than 4 years. His deeply polarized leadership is expected to once again be the main factor dividing voters.
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