The human rights group B'Tzalmo has asked the Civil Administration and the managers of the Tomb of Samuel the Prophet complex to urgently fix what it says are serious safety and accessibility failures at the site, which draws tens of thousands of worshippers over the year. The group says the compound does not meet basic safety standards and is not accessible to people with disabilities.
In its letter, B'Tzalmo said a yeshiva student was previously injured there because of the defects. It also said the site is closed or access is restricted every year during the hilula ceremonies on the 28th and 29th of Iyar because of safety problems, preventing many visitors from reaching the tomb.
The organization said this week’s development, in which authority was removed from the waqf, creates an opportunity to solve the long-running problems. It called for the installation of an accessible elevator for people with disabilities, senior citizens and parents with strollers, and for widening the external entrance, which it described as a safety bottleneck that prevents crowd control and quick evacuation in an emergency.
B'Tzalmo director general Shai Glick told Channel 7 that the site’s neglect is “a continuing failure and a disgrace to the State of Israel in 2026.” He said freedom of worship is a basic democratic and Jewish right that must be equal for everyone, regardless of religion, age or physical disability. Glick added that during the hilula, people with disabilities, the elderly and children should not be left behind because of bureaucratic delays, and demanded that the Civil Administration present an immediate work plan within 14 days. The Civil Administration had not responded. The Nature and Parks Authority said the site is the Civil Administration’s responsibility.
