Families of victims of the Meron disaster are voicing strong opposition against government agencies and police, accusing them of imposing humiliating and burdensome restrictions as they seek to visit the kever of Rav Shimon bar Yochai on Lag BaOmer.

In a sharply worded letter sent by attorney Eran Becker to Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi and the official overseeing the hilula, MK Meir Porush, bereaved families describe ongoing bureaucratic obstacles and a lack of sensitivity toward their situation as they prepare for the annual pilgrimage.

The letter, written on behalf of families who lost loved ones in the tragedy five years ago, depicts what it calls an unacceptable reality in which grieving parents are forced to stand for hours at checkpoints and plead with police officers and staff for access to the site.

“This is a humiliating and offensive spectacle, in which a mother who lost what is most precious to her is required to ‘prove’ her pain and beg for her basic right to commune with the memory of her sons on the day of the hilula,” Becker wrote. He added that the harm to the families’ dignity has continued year after year since the disaster and must be addressed.

Ahead of this year’s event, the letter outlines four immediate demands intended to ease access for the families.

First, Becker calls for the establishment of a pre-registration system, through which details of the families and their vehicles would be shared with all relevant authorities at least a week in advance.

Second, he requests clear instructions to police and personnel to allow direct and respectful access for family vehicles close to the gravesite, without requiring explanations at checkpoints.

Third, the families are seeking a designated parking area near the site reserved specifically for them.

Finally, Becker calls for renewed and stricter guidelines for all personnel on the ground, emphasizing the need to identify bereaved families and treat them with maximum sensitivity and respect.

In closing, Becker issued a pointed statement, noting that copies of the letter were also sent to National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir and the police commissioner. “We cannot accept a situation in which the state, which bears responsibility for the failure that led to the loss of 45 pure souls, continues to place obstacles before the families at their most difficult moments,” he wrote.

The families are now awaiting an immediate response, expressing hope that their requests will be approved so they can visit the site this year with the dignity they believe is warranted.