Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has canceled this year’s mass Lag B'Omer celebration at Mount Meron, after another day of launches from Lebanon and a renewed tightening of Home Front Command restrictions in northern communities.
The decision came after the Home Front Command limited gatherings to 1,500 people in communities along the confrontation line, as well as in Meron, Bar Yochai, Or HaGanuz and Safsufa. The restrictions took effect Sunday at 10:30 p.m. and were set to remain in place until Monday at 8 p.m.
The narrow security Cabinet discussed the Meron event Sunday night. After the meeting, Netanyahu decided that the annual celebration, scheduled for May 5, would not be held in its usual mass format.
“After several security assessments were held by the prime minister, and in light of the Home Front Command’s updated defense policy beginning April 26, 2026, the prime minister instructed that the events marking the celebration of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai at Meron will not take place this year in a mass-participation format, but only in a symbolic format,” the Prime Minister’s Office said.
The statement said the decision was made because of concern over a mass casualty event, citing the fragile ceasefire with Lebanon, Meron’s proximity to the border, rocket fire toward the area and the difficulty of evacuating large numbers of participants quickly. Detailed instructions on the symbolic format will be issued closer to the date.
The decision followed a warning first reported Friday by ynet, when defense officials instructed government ministries involved in preparations for the event to halt work, saying the security situation would not allow tens of thousands of people to gather at the tomb of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai.
Meanwhile, leaders of communities along the confrontation line announced they would immediately halt schools and transportation in communities under threat of fire, even though the Home Front Command had not ordered them to do so. They said they would independently adopt an “orange” defense policy beginning Tuesday.
“Despite declarations of a ceasefire, the reality on the ground proves that security along the confrontation line has not been restored, and fire toward our communities continues, including UAVs and sirens today,” the Confrontation Line Communities Forum said.
Moshe Davidovich, head of the Mateh Asher Regional Council and chairman of the forum, said local leaders would not wait for a disaster.
“Our children’s blood is not cheap, and we will not wait for a disaster to make life-saving decisions,” he said.
Before the cancellation, Netanyahu held a meeting with ministers Miri Regev, Shlomo Karhi and Itamar Ben-Gvir, United Torah Judaism lawmaker Meir Porush, event production officials and representatives of the IDF and police.
Porush argued that preparations were almost complete and questioned why the event was being canceled now. Government Secretary Yossi Fuchs said preparations had to stop and that a decision was needed even if there were a ceasefire.
“It is impossible not to give the public even hope,” Porush said.
Yossi Deitsch, the official in charge of the Meron celebration, warned that people might try to reach the site regardless of the restrictions.
“Last Shabbat there were 10,000 people in Meron, and suddenly on Lag B'Omer you limit it to 1,000?” he said. “People will walk dozens of kilometers to reach Meron at any cost.”