At least 44 dead in Israel Jewish pilgrimage disaster Updated
AFP
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A massive stampede at a densely packed Jewish pilgrimage site killed at
least 44 people in northern Israel on Friday, blackening the country s largest
Covid-era gathering.
AFP
The nighttime disaster struck after pilgrims thronged to Meron at the site
of the reputed tomb of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai, a second-century Talmudic sage,
where mainly ultra-Orthodox Jews mark the Lag BaOmer holiday.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who was helicoptered in to the scene,
tweeted that the Mount Meron disaster was one of the worst to
befall the State of Israel since its foundation seven decades ago.
First victims of Israeli festival crush identified as funerals got underway in keeping with Orthodox tradition
Dead include a singer from Canada, a nine-year-old boy and his brother, two Americans and a father-of-11
In total, 45 people were killed during Lag B Omer festivities at Mount Meron overnight - with authorities working to identify others as families and friends got separated in the crush
People whose loved ones went missing amid the disaster have launched desperate online appeal to find them
At least 150 people were wounded, some critically, amid the crush which is one of Israel s deadliest disasters
Stampede kills 44 pilgrims at Israel s largest Covid-era gathering euractiv.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from euractiv.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Flags of Georgia and Moldova. Author: Borka Kiss / Shutterstock
A political crisis is only over when the underlying issues causing it have been resolved. Does this logic apply to recent events in Georgia and Moldova? Currently, there is no straightforward answer. Certainly, the latest developments in Georgia and Moldova allow for some cautious optimism. There have been huge improvements in both countries regarding their recent crises. However, only one of these nations seems to be truly approaching the end of its problems.
The positive political changes that occurred in April have happened for different reasons in each of the two cases. In Georgia, the European Union successfully oversaw negotiations between the ruling Georgian Dream party and various segments of the opposition, which signed a very ambitious deal after weeks of disagreement. This outcome is primarily the result of high-ranking EU politicians’ perseverance and their ability to persuade the main political forces.