Before Pesach MK Abutbol was requesting that the Corona Task Force, ie PM Benjamin Netanyahu and Minister Yaakov Litzman, allow barbershops to open. His logic then was that after Pesach people will not be able to get haircuts due to being in the middle of the Omer, so there was a pressing need to allow haircuts before Pesach, even though it was not within the regulations. or the spirit of the regulations. He wanted them to make an exception for haircuts in barbershops because of the Omer situation after Pesach.
And now MK Abubtbol is requesting that despite the regulations, or at least the expected regulations, for Lag B'Omer, will have Meron closed to the public (and possibly only open to a number of pre-approved rabbonim to have small bonfires), they open it to the public for haircuts for young children. Abutbol explains that it is a holy minhag to wait until a child is 3 years old and to go to Meron on lag B'Omer for the first haircut.Abubtol suggests allowing it for children who pre-register and the haircuts can be staggered with each child being given a time to be there, rather than having it in large crowds as usual. Also the empty parking lots could be used and partitioned off to different areas with 19 people in each, similar to the minyanim now allowed at the Kotel (for people who live in the Old City).
I don't know that this is an issue important enough to fight over, when minyanim are barely allowed and when yeshivas are not open. I still cannot believe that people find things like this more important than being machmir on health concerns that they are willing to try to put pressure on the government to get this allowed. Corona does not just go away and stay away just because you successfully pressured the government to allow your event.
I wish them all good health and recommend they are either wait a little longer until the country opens up some more and/or the Corona threat goes away. Or they can just give the chalaka somewhere else - such as at home.
With the gradual easing of regulations anyway, with every few days being a little bit more returned closer to normal, this all may be moot by then anyways. By then haircuts might be allowed. I suspect even with that Lag B'Omer in Meron might be shut down, just like Pesach was shut down and Yom Haatzmaut will be, but if the numbers improve enough before then, perhaps it will be somewhat open and possible.
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