Finance Minister Avigdor Lieberman and Justice Minister Gideon Saar have agreed on an outline of assistance to the families of the 45 victims of the disaster on Mount Meron. The outline will be submitted for government approval.
As part of the outline, it is proposed to provide an amount of about NIS 500,000 to the family as initial assistance. To the extent that the legal proceedings take place, these amounts will be deducted from the amounts compensated by the families, when determining who will be the compensating party.
The proposal was formulated by the Director General of the Ministry of Justice, Adv. Eran Davidi, with the approval of the Accountant General and the legal entities in the Ministries of Finance and Justice.
Finance Minister Avigdor Lieberman said that “the disaster that occurred in Meron is of national magnitude and the feeling of loss and severe pain is experienced first and foremost by the families and by the entire State of Israel. “The pain can not be eliminated and the victims unfortunately can not be returned but we will do everything we can to give the maximum response for the families and we will take all precautions to prevent the next disaster.”
Justice Minister Gideon Saar added that “the huge loss experienced by 45 families in Israel and in Diaspora Jewry is not compensable. The least the government can do is make sure that the case does not recur and help the affected families financially.
The outline we put on the cabinet table today provides immediate assistance in a way that makes it as easy as possible for the families. “
The Meron Disaster Families Forum in response to Minister Lieberman’s announcement and Saar on the submission of a compensation outline. “There are things that are beyond all politics – good does the government that takes responsibility and compensates the families of the dead. There are things that are beyond all politics. We welcome the fact that the government took the enormous damage to families seriously and reached an agreed outline regarding the assistance needed.”
“We congratulate MK Yaakov, who has worked tirelessly since the disaster to push the compensation outline, Finance Minister Avigdor Lieberman and Justice Minister Gideon Saar who worked to prepare an agreed outline, and Coalition Chairman Edith Silman accompanied the families,” the forum said.
The initiator of the Compensation for Families of the Victims of Meron Law, MK Yaakov Asher, said: . “Better late than never, it is the state’s duty to families who are entitled to receive the compensation by law and not by grace.”