Thousands of Orthodox Christians in Israel who were supposed to celebrate the Feast of the Transfiguration at the church on Mount Tabor on Friday were forced to turn back, after they did not receive the necessary permit from fire and safety authorities before the event was to start.
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Among those who arrived for the annual holiday were Christians living in Israel, and tourists who specifically arrived in the country to participate in the annual celebration.
"The Feast of the Transfiguration is one of the most important holidays in Christianity," said Wadie Abu Nassar, a prominent figure within Israel’s Christian community.
According to Christian tradition, Jesus ascended Mount Tabor with three of his disciples and revealed himself as the Son of God, with Elijah and Moses by his side. The Orthodox Church marks the holiday every year on August 18-19, but both this year and last year, the Israeli authorities denied permission for the event to take place.
"Thousands of believers who came to celebrate the holiday were forced to turn back after the authorities didn’t approve the event at the last moment," Abu Nassar claimed. "A few days ago, a meeting took place between the Orthodox Council in Nazareth and the authorities, where it was agreed that the event would take place.”
“We expected that after the event’s cancellation last year, the Fire and Rescue Services would present us with all the safety requirements we needed to uphold so that we could hold our religious ceremony as others do. They only remember to inform us the event didn’t meet the requirements hours before it should’ve taken place.”
Jezreel Valley Regional Council Head Eyal Batzar added, "This is a completely unnecessary and baseless incident that causes significant damage to Israel across the Christian world." According to him, Einav Peretz, an Interior Ministry official in charge of Israel’s Northern District, reached out to him several months ago and requested his assistance in organizing the event.
Batzar held regular meetings with the relevant authorities, even though the event didn’t take place in the jurisdiction of his council. "I did everything at the request of the Interior Ministry of and for Israel’s benefit, because I knew that last year's event didn't take place," he said.
"I wanted to spare Israel an embarrassment. Just a week ago, I received the Interior Ministry’s approval to sign an agreement with a producer for the event, and chose an experienced and professional individual,” he added.
“He prepared and did everything to ensure the event would take place, but to my astonishment and regret, I learned that the Fire and Rescue Services didn’t approve the event."
According to Batzar, "The Fire and Rescue Services suddenly raised unreasonable and illogical demands that couldn't be met in the short time remaining before the event. If they had informed us in advance that the event couldn't take place, we wouldn't have put in the effort for nothing."
Head of the Israel Incoming Tour Operators Association, Yossi Fatal, said "This is an international scandal and a violation of the right to religious freedom. The issue will serve as a tool in the hands of those who seek to vilify Israel as a country attempting to harm Christians.”
Yair Elkayam, head of the the Fire and Rescue Services’ Northern District, said "We've been alerting organizers that the event doesn’t meet the required safety standards for over half a year due to fire hazards.”
“We've had numerous meetings about these issues with all parties involved, alerted them to the situation, and requested that safety measures be bolstered on-site to mitigate the risk," he added.