The law enforcement system is under critical scrutiny by the Commissioner for Complaints against the Prosecution, retired Judge Menachem Finkelstein, regarding delays in deciding whether to renew criminal investigations into the Meron disaster. According to a report by Tova Tzimuki on ynet, these proceedings have been frozen for about two and a half years, since the publication of the State Commission of Inquiry's conclusions, which pointed to the responsibility of senior officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, former Minister Amir Ohana, Police Commissioner Yaakov Shabtai, and former Minister Yaakov Avitan.
In his annual report from June 2026 and letters sent to Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara, Finkelstein emphasizes that the current situation causes undue suffering for the victims' families. The Commissioner notes that despite prolonged correspondence and the establishment of a joint police and prosecution task force, no real progress has been recorded on the ground, and the wheels of the criminal process have yet to turn. In response to his claims, the Ministry of Justice stated that the matter is being examined thoroughly and professionally within a joint team, and that investigative materials were recently transferred to the police.
Law enforcement officials indicated that a roadmap for examining the continuation of the investigation has been completed, and that work on it is expected to be finished by mid-October 2026. However, Commissioner Finkelstein expressed doubt regarding these timelines, noting that it is a process that could take a long time, unlike other disasters where decisions were made much faster. He warned that the prolonged delay could pose a significant obstacle to conducting a future criminal proceeding, should one be decided upon.
The Commissioner's main demand is to set a near and defined deadline for concluding the review, rather than providing updates that mimic progress without actual results. This is a complex case where the need for justice clashes with the system's claims of being burdened by the state of war, raising questions about how law enforcement is conducted in cases involving senior government officials.