The recordings from the fateful hearing a week before the Meron disaster: "When was an incident that people were crushed?"

A recording published by Eli Senor in News 13 sheds light on the warnings presented to then-Minister Ohana, a week before the disaster in which 45 people were trampled to death.

Ohana is heard asking if it has happened in the past that people have been crushed.

The commissioner is heard answering: "Some people have lost a lot of calories in an attempt to keep their children in the air"

Walla!

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15/06/2022

Wednesday, 15 June, 2022, 20:48 Updated: 21:39

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In the video: Meron Committee criticizes Ohana (Photo: GPO)

A week before the disaster in the merriment in Meron, in which 45 people were crushed to death, police officials warned of the danger to the then Minister of Internal Security Amir Ohana, and Police Commissioner Kobi Shabtai - this is what was recorded tonight (Wednesday) on News 13 by Eli Senor

. It took place on April 22 last year, a week before the celebration in Meron. The meeting was attended by Minister Ohana, Commissioner Shabtai, the senior officer of the Israel Police and representatives of the holy places.

"In the end, there is a huge tension between safety and health," said Northern District Commander Shimon Lavi in ​​the recording.

"I say here on the table: we expect ten thousand, but there will be many more. We are ready for much more. In the end, what will increase, and this is also the Commissioner's directive - safety considerations above all.

"Everything that has to do with a lot of behavior, urgency and pressure from the public is us, and that is also a top priority."

Ohana and Saturn in Meron, on the eve of the disaster (Photo: Israel Police Spokeswoman)

Minister Ohana

: "What is the chance that one of the Hasidim who did not receive her request says 'I will rise whatever it is' and then collide at the top? Is there such a probability?".

: "They can go up. Do not light up."

This was only the first warning given by the district commander Lavie.

Throughout the meeting, both he and then-Chief of Staff Amnon Alkalay tried to turn on red lights.

The second thing is readiness for a multi-casualty event.

In any case, the Minister and I say everywhere that safety outweighs this matter.

Everything must be done to prevent overcrowding, "said Alkalay.

:" When was the last time there was an incident, if at all, that people were trampled, crushed? "

: "Not trampled, but there are people here who have lost a lot of calories from the fear and struggle of keeping the kids in the air and the women."

Superintendent Lavi emphasizes how crowded it will be: "In a conversation with the representatives of the Hasidim in Beitar Illit, 12,000 tickets were sold. That's a lot."

What about the MKs?

At the same time, outside the yeshiva, there was a campaign of pressure from religious elements from all streams to allow as many people as possible to enter the celebration.

The issue reached as far as then-Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and from there to Ministers Aryeh Deri and others.

This pressure is well felt at the same meeting, among others by Minister Ohana.

"MKs?"

: "Allow if there is a request in advance."

: "Only with transportation.

"There are not many MKs who would want to. I suggest that whoever does not have parking upstairs, it must be transportation."

The representative of the holy places pledged: "We have fixed everything, bye de book."

The traffic department also wanted to limit the number of participants to ten thousand, but Ohana is actually taking care of members of the Knesset.

"All of our operational readiness relies on lessons learned from previous years," an officer in the Traffic Division said.

"Complete separation with aspects of infrastructure between pedestrians and buses because there are hundreds of thousands of people there who will not turn between the wheels of the bus."

: "How many private vehicles can cost?".

: "On the mountain we have 3 enclosures including one that is a little further away and arrive by shuttles, but inside the seat there are 750 parking spaces in total. If we get requests in advance, we give them."

: "You can approve 20 MKs, can't you?"

"If we receive requests in advance, we give them

."

: "it happened?".

: "Yes."

: In 1911, the balcony of the Rashbi tomb collapsed.

13 people were injured.

There was no doctor and we had to bring a veterinarian who came on a donkey. "

:" We had safety reports that we had to correct.

All sorts of things and did not know if we would be able to fix them until the revelry.

"We presented all the engineering reports to the district commander. We fixed everything. Really. Bye, this is a book. We did not take any risks here."

Rescue efforts in moments of disaster (Photo: Flash 90, David Cohen / Flash 90)

For many days the northern district of the police have asked to receive from the Holy Places Committee and the Committee of Five the list of the Hasidim who will be privileged to carry out the traditional lighting on the mountain.

But no one was in a hurry to bring such a list and only used pressure to approve more and more infections and in the end they also asked Minister Ohana to find a solution for them.

"We do not trust the miracle. It is an event that needs a miracle for it to pass in peace and the responsibility lies with the CBS and the full responsibility and also the authority, God forbid, should be his," said the representative of the holy places. "They feel wrong with the question of why such storks do and such storks do not. I do not think the police should determine. This business creates resentment and unrest in the sector."

: "Minister (Ohana), if they had managed it would be something else.

We had to make decisions.

We can not wait for the 90th minute.

He who is good to him, hello and cheers.

Whoever is not good for him ..

: "You can not please everyone. How? Math does not make sense in capacity."

: "We have solved your problems.

We take responsibility. "

At this point the atmosphere in the yeshiva has changed and the tones begin to rise." Everyone owes recommendations and guidelines, "the commissioner says, addressing the representative of the holy places.

"Sir, do you want the responsibility? Take an empty table and bring the names. You throw a bomb and want me to dismantle it. Whoever wants here at the table has more intelligence and discretion and we do not understand anything of what we did. Apologize for the brawl. I annoy myself and talk." .

Although the Northern District and the Operations Division are seeking to limit the number of participants to ten thousand, everyone understands that without regulations much more will come and then the Israblof proposals come in.

Urgent on the eve of the disaster (Photo: Walla !, Eli Ashkenazi)

Although the Northern District and the Operations Division have sought to limit the number of participants to ten thousand, everyone understands that without regulations many more people will come.

Then came the Israbloff proposals.

: "We are going to issue announcements to the public. Explain to everyone that the mountain area is limited."

: "If we were to increase the number of people in the lighting complex from 10,000 to 20,000 - it would be easier for you."

: "I estimate that there will be 50,000 on the mountain."

: "So I want to reduce the gap to what is declared to what is actually. It is better for you to have 20,000 is not it?".

: "I also told everyone at the end the consideration of crowd pressure outweighs everything. If there is crowd pressure, I will put in more crowd."

: "Everything is clear and known. I'm just saying, if I increase the amount allowed, I reduce the gap between what will actually be and what will be."

: "That's why we said - it will be completely open."

Ohana: "We do not want to break through all the borders. Ten thousand said, will it make it easier for you to say 20,000? There has not yet been a government decision."

Despite the critical importance of the recording, the police did not refer it to the commission of inquiry.

She ended up at her friends table only in an informal way.

At the conclusion of the hearing, Commissioner Saturn reiterated his recommendation to leave the mountain open and made it clear that he has no intention of confronting the crowd that arrives, exactly what the police did this year - the main lesson learned unfortunately only after 45 people lost their lives.

"The issue of the corona imposes such and such limitations," the commissioner said.

If more than that is decided, only I emphasize, we do not intend to confront.

"If there is an emergency, all the partitions will be opened and the whole idea is to prevent an event of overcrowding that could lead to safety incidents."

At this point, Deputy Minister of Internal Security Gadi Yabarkan requested the right to speak and warned again and adhered to the demand for restrictions.

"Only if I agree with the words of the head of the traffic department who said that it is better to leave it at ten thousand and not raise because public criticism is limited, why in football, basketball and culture - can be very large."

Despite the warnings and horror scenarios presented, Minister Amir Ohana says at the end of the meeting that he believes the preparation was proper.

Despite the heavy fear of overcrowding, he seeks to reach an agreement with the Hasidim who have not received a permit for lighting.

"It is clear that the police deployment first and foremost as the person responsible for the incident is very significant. It seems that all the at least reasonable scenarios have been addressed and covered," Ohana said at the same meeting.

"The thing I fear most is of course some kind of security incident. The issue of who deserves to light deserves to be resolved by the holy places, but the solution of the holy places give is not a solution because they give an outline that is not applicable. Hope you have some openness and the six left unhappy, Let them have flexibility. "

Police response

The Israel Police responded: "As part of the transfer of materials to the committee, it became clear that there was no written protocol for the hearing. The police acted to find the recording of the hearing even though it took place at the Ministry of Internal Security."

The commissioner's remarks at the hearing strengthen the police's claims throughout, and the entire hearing must be listened to in order to understand the police's position and not cut parts of it and give them a wrong interpretation. Of things. "

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