MK Michael Malchieli of Shas addressed the controversy surrounding the cancellation of the mass Lag Ba’omer pilgrimage to Har Meron, offering cautious support for the decision by security officials while voicing measured criticism over how such decisions impact the chareidi public.
In an interview with the main news broadcast on Radio Kol Chai, Malchieli said that while it is easy to judge the move in hindsight, it becomes far more complicated when all security bodies—including the Defense Ministry, the police, and Home Front Command—present a clear and credible threat assessment.
He explained, “If we had seen missiles in the last 24 hours heading toward Meron, everyone would have said how wise it was to close.” He added that although many in the chareidi community feel that restrictions are imposed more quickly on their events, in this case it is difficult to ignore the security evaluations and Meron’s proximity to the northern border.
At the same time, Malchieli acknowledged that the reaction within the chareidi public is not simple, particularly given that other large gatherings across the country have continued to take place. “I have a lot of criticism when the chareidi public is harmed by such decisions,” he said, “but in the end, when a clear threat picture is presented to you, there is not much room to maneuver.”
Later in the interview, Malchieli turned to a central political issue for the chareidi parties—the effort to advance legislation regulating the status of yeshiva students. He described it as the most critical issue currently facing the chareidi public, but noted that there is still no agreed-upon draft that has received rabbinic approval. “If you had asked me a year ago whether we would reach Lag Ba’omer without a law, I would have said it’s impossible. And yet, here we are,” he said.
Malchieli revealed that despite extended discussions in the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, full agreements have not yet been reached with legal and political stakeholders. He said representatives of the chareidi parties have been instructed to remain engaged in negotiations rather than withdraw, in the hope that a finalized version can be presented when the summer session opens.
Addressing the ongoing tensions between the government and the attorney general, Malchieli sharply criticized the judicial system, arguing that there is a “small but powerful group” that he claims directly limits the government’s ability to govern. He said ministers and Knesset members repeatedly encounter rulings, delays, and interventions that interfere with government decisions.
{Matzav.com}
We are living in a generation that has turned minhag into halacha and halacha into minhag. Tipshim. Rakim.
Because you don’t understand it, doesn’t mean hundreds of thousands or millions of heilige yidden are tipshim, rakim. Do some research about the holy Tanna Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai zt”l and the yeshuos seen at his grave, and then do tshuva for being motzi shem on klal yisroel.
If there had been missiles in Meron on Lag B’omer, everyone would have understood it’s the Zionist again, as they’ve been doing the last few years, trying to instill fear and discourage the public from attending the celebration in Meron. They never do so against sport games and filth parades. The public is no fool. They’ve learned long ago who the true villains are.
Have you noticed that the Zionists have stopped firing “from Lebanon” since Lag BaOmer into Meron?