Hiking in the Negev
I seem to be hiking monthly these days. Spring is here, which means there’s a few weeks of erratic, schizo weather before it turns scorchingly hot and I won’t want to hike anywhere.
Jerusalem Mosaic hiking club were doing this rather easy hike, along gentle hills near Kibbutz Be’eri (a kibbutz founded in 1946), which is 3 miles from Gaza. The British built roads here pre-State-of-Israel and stored their ammunition here, as well as having a sulphur factory. The scenery was quite different from one moment to the next.
So let’s get to the photos:
There were several German Shepherd dogs guarding the premises at the Kibbutz. Why? I asked the guide. His explanation was that the Kibbutz was just 3 miles from Gaza and this was to prevent infiltrators. BUT - then I hear Israel’s biggest printing press is behind the barbed wire. And this is where the bills from the electric company, the phone company and other major sources of annoyances come from. No wonder they need security dogs.
Wild horses couldn’t drag me away….lovely to see this in the middle of nowhere, eh?
Hiking along the sand dunes…
The old British sulphur factor
I’m happy to report that we hiked much faster than this snail on the grass.
- seems to be a ruin of an Arab village or home here - although I can’t seem to find any info on any here - but the cactus plant borders are a sure sign of what was once Arab-owned fields near this kibbutz.
- the homes of Gaza in the distance. This rural area of Gaza seems quite pastoral, unlike the inner cities where chaos seems to reign.
[…] Mideast Youth - Thinking AheadArticle: Hiking in the NegevOriginaly Posted On: 2007-03-28 […]
Excellent coverage and pictures as usual Leah! That one of the horse is just beautiful, looks like a flawless unicorn or something. I never thought Gaza would look like that. When I think of it, I think of sand, scorching weather and broken homes, the image created by media images and reports.
Shalom Lea
Have a look at this map to learn about the name of the Arab village that once stood where you passed: http://www.nakbainhebrew.org/index.php?id=92
It’s from ZOCHROT, an organization that learnes and teaches about the Palestinian Nakba in order to promote peace between Israelis and Palestinians. I’d be happy to discuss this issue. My email is youval72@yahoo.com
Youval