POST #6: The Golan Heights

This was a profound experience. I had heard the Rebbe speak so many times about the critical value of the Golan Heights, how invaluable it is to Israel's security. Now we get to see it.

So here is the top of Mount Bental, one of the sites of the battles for the Golan Heights during the 1967 and 73 war. And a great vantage point and lookout for the whole area.

This is a view of the Kibbutz that lies in the valley, in the Golan Heights at the foot of Mt. Bental. This Kibbutz was built as soon as negotiations with Syria stalled in the aftermath of the Six Day War and was heavily bombed and damaged in the Yom Kippur War.

Rising above the horizon, you see great big Mt. Chermon, the highest point in Israel.

To the right, you can see the slopes of Mt. Avital, another mountain (Golan Height) captured by Israel in the 67 war. Beyond that you see Syria. Damascus is only 37 miles from the camera I took this picture with. In the plain, you can see the agriculture developed by Israel since the Yom Kippur War.

Right in the middle of the picture there is a small cluster of white buildings, this is the UN Peacekeeping Force, there along the border since the 1973 ceasefire.

This is same plain, valley, it is called "Valley of Tears." Here is a paragraph from JewishVirtualLibrary.com about the incredible history of this valley and area:

In the Yom Kippur War of 1973, Mount Bental was the site of one of the largest tank battles in history. Mount Bental is a key strategic point for Israel due to its advantageous observation point. Israel knew it count not risk losing this mountain, nor any of the Golan Heights . The Syrians attacked the Golan with 1,500 tanks and 1,000 artillery pieces. Israel countered with only 160 tanks and 60 artillery pieces. The long stretch of valley in between Mount Bental and Mount Hermon became known as the Valley of Tears. The 100 Israeli tanks were reduced to seven under extreme enemy fire. However, the Israelis managed to take down 600 Syrian tanks in the process. The Syrians eventually retreated, but not without inflicting heavy casualties on Israel.

A view from the back of the mountain-top fortification.

A Nigerian tour group.

Here is a better view of the Valley of Tears with Mt. Hermon towering in the background.

And after all that, and all the hostility with Syria etc., this has been one of Israel's QUIETEST borders since the end of their last major war, the Yim Kippur War.

I have a lot of video from this visit, including video of the bunkers under the fortification, but it takes forever to upload them to the internet.