The Meron Ushers Speak About the Tragedy

Three ushers present at the Meron tragedy on Lag Ba’omer recently testified before the Investigative Committee. Jihad Gitan, Meir Aflalo, and Shai Ben Lulu were all employees of a private security company.

Gitan told the committee he was initially posted at the bottom of the stairs where the tragedy occurred. Aflalo had ordered him to block the stairs there to prevent people from ascending to the crowded Toldos Aharon lighting. He and two others placed two barriers there, but left one barrier open so that people could still descend.

“Later, a crazy number of people began coming down,” Gitan said. “Everyone coming down said, ‘Take it [the barrier] away.’ It was also making a blockage.”

Dozens walked up the stairs against his orders and someone moved away the barrier. This perhaps explains why there was no barrier in a video of the tragedy, despite the insistence of many people that there was a barrier at the bottom of the stairs.

Gitan felt helpless. There was too much noise to phone Aflalo and no police officers in sight, although he later saw a group of police eating and drinking. Aflalo ordered Gitan to go somewhere else, but got back minutes later with the order, “Go to the steps, there’s been a catastrophe!”

Aflalo told the committee it was normal to set up barriers at some locations and direct people to use other entrances, adding, “Every year after the Meron affair, I would say to myself, ‘It’s a miracle [nothing happened.’]”

Aflalo told the committee he acted independently of any security guards or police. A member of the committee rebuked him for this, saying it was illegal.

The third usher, Ben Lulu, also complained of an insufficient police presence. He told the committee that when Gitan told him he could not control the crowds at the stairs, he went down there himself.

“It took no small time because of the crowding and then also, I saw no police officers,” Ben Lulu said.

{Matzav.com Israel}