Congregation Ohav Sholom

Travel in Israel - Mitzpe Golani

Off the Beaten Track in Israel - Mitzpe Golani - The Golani Lookout Post (Tel Faher)

by Michael Rosenbloom (spidermr@aol.com)

Since it appears that Israel may relinquish the Golan Heights in the not too distant future, I think it's an appropriate time to suggest to you, my readers, a trip to a site that illustrates well, the strategic issues at stake in the negotiations between Israel and Syria.

Mitzpe Golani is a network of Syrian fortifications and bunkers built into the mountainside of the Golan Heights. It is located south of the Banias junction and can be reached by driving on the oil pipeline road, which is an interesting story in and of itself. Prior to 1967, an oil pipeline was built by Aramco, a joint Arab-American oil company. Through the pipeline, flowed oil from Saudi Arabia to Lebanon. Part of the pipeline was laid in what was once Syria - the Golan Heights. A road was built along the pipeline to facilitate the pipeline's maintenance. After the Six-Day War, the Golan, pipeline and all, fell into Israeli hands. Strangely enough, oil still flows through it except now, it is the Israel Defense Forces that provide the security for the area.

Mitzpe Golani is reached by driving a kilometer and a half on the pipeline road until an unpaved parking area appears on your right. The pipeline road is reached by traveling east from Kiryat Shemona towards the Banias. Eventually, after passing numerous kibbutzim in the Hula Valley, and beginning your ascent to the Heights, you reach a junction. One sign points to Banias, the other to Hermon. You must follow the sign that points you to Hermon. This is the pipeline road. We saw no signs to indicate the site. We were lucky enough to stop someone on the road who pointed us to the site even though it was right under our nose, after traveling too far and doubling back.

My cousin had told me: "Don't go there! It's a run-down site." Despite his advice, I went with my hunch and went there anyway. What we found, behind the monument dedicated to the numerous IDF soldiers who lost their lives overtaking this outpost of paramount strategic importance, was a vast system of tunnels and bunkers built just below ground surface. Here Syrian soldiers had a bird's eye view from the bunkers to the kibbutzim in the Hula Valley below. I made sure my girls walked through the tunnels to one of the bunkers. They were able to see just how strategically placed the Heights are and how precarious the situation was for the kibbutzim in the Hula Valley prior to 1967.

Twenty-three Israeli soldiers lost their lives in the Six-Day War, overtaking Tel Faher, which later came to be known as Mitzpe Golani. Tel Faher was the linchpin for the other Syrian fortifications on the Heights. Once it fell, the others fell quickly and the Golan was in Israeli hands. Yes, Mitzpe Golani is a neglected site. Still, if you've never been to the Golan Heights, you should see Mitzpe Golani. Regardless of your political outlook, a visit to Mitzpe Golani is sure to arouse in you great trepidation. You'll not only see to what great lengths the Syrians went to fortify a site that they felt was strategically important, you'll also come away with a better understanding of the importance of the Heights to Israeli security and peace of mind. Finally you'll leave hoping and praying for the wisdom of Israel's leaders.

April 2000

Next article: Mt. Meron

Home