UTJ MK Sponsors Bill to Compensate Those Injured at Meron

By Hamodia Staff

YERUSHALAYIM – United Torah Judaism MK Yaakov Asher introduced on Sunday a proposal to provide financial compensation to those who were injured in the tragic crush last Lag BaOmer at Meron that killed 45 people.

Last week, after a year’s delay, the Knesset Finance Committee approved the transfer of  500,000 shekels ($160,000) for every family member killed in the disaster, for a total of NIS 22.5 million.

MK Asher, who sponsored the bill to compensate families for their bereavement, on Sunday advanced a bill to establish a governmental committee that will set criteria for compensation for those who were injured. Many of them continue to suffer from their injuries, and have received no compensation whatsoever from the government to this date.

The chairman of UTJ, Rabbi Moshe Gafni, commented last Monday on the final approval of payment to the bereaved families:

“It should have been done immediately and not drawn out this long, but better late than never,” he said in a statement. “We’ll monitor the agreement and make sure the money reaches the families in the coming days.”

In January, the government agreed on the details, called “initial aid” to the families, though its approval took months to finalize. A forum of bereaved families from the Meron disaster thanked the government for overcoming political differences in order to finalize the agreement.