Thousands Defy Restrictions and Stream to Meron for Lag BaOmer Despite War Concerns

by | May 6, 2026 | News

time lapse photography of fireworks during night time

In a dramatic standoff between security authorities and religious devotion, tens of thousands of ultra-Orthodox Jews made their way to Mount Meron this week to celebrate Lag BaOmer, defying government restrictions put in place due to the ongoing conflict with Hezbollah in northern Israel.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had ordered the mass celebration canceled, citing a severe threat assessment from IDF Home Front Command officials, who warned that a rocket or drone strike on a large crowd at the mountaintop site could be catastrophic. Authorities closed roads leading to the tomb of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai and deployed hundreds of police officers to enforce the restrictions.

Despite those measures, crowds streamed onto the mountain in the evening, with some individuals cutting through fences and bypassing barriers on foot. In footage circulating online, worshipers could be seen gathering around a central bonfire lit outside the tomb, with music playing in the background.

In a normal year, Meron draws some 100,000 pilgrims for the annual hilula marking the yahrtzeit of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai, whose tomb is traditionally held to be on the mountaintop. The holiday is celebrated with bonfires, dancing, and singing throughout the night. This year, only three small, officially approved bonfire lightings were originally sanctioned, each limited to around 200 participants.

National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, who showed up at the site during the evening, praised police for being “gentle” with those attempting to reach Meron, even as official policy sought to keep them away. The episode highlighted the deep tension between security imperatives and the religious freedoms of Israel’s Haredi community.

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