Overview
- Police said Sunday the prime minister ordered this year’s Meron gathering canceled due to Hezbollah-linked threats and Home Front Command caps on crowds of 200 outdoors.
- Officers closed roads, halted buses, and set checkpoints, yet thousands reached the area on foot as forces mount “Operation Meron 2026” to block new arrivals and head off clashes.
- Authorities outlined a fallback with three official bonfire lightings of about 200 people each under police control, though Kan News and local outlets report the plan remains contingent and could be scrapped.
- The Jerusalem and Heritage Ministry said the Transport Ministry refused to run the legally required bus-and-ticket system, a post-2021 safety rule that officials say makes controlled entry impossible.
- Senior rabbis, including David Yosef and Yigal Cohen, urged the public to stay away, saying preserving life overrides pilgrimage and that security guidance must be followed.