A VIRTUAL WALK

Part three of a six-part series highlighting different paths along the Israel National Trail. The Sonabend Center for Israel presents Trail of Israel—A Virtual Walk. The series focuses on discovering all aspects of life and communities in Israel, such as the Orthodox, the Druze, technology hubs, kibbutzim, and a view of Israelis living their everyday lives.

In this and subsequent issues of TAMUZ, we will share small parts of our trip along the trail. Let this be your inspiration to visit the trail, or parts of it, during your next visit to Israel.

In this clip, we visit Latrun, which is located at a strategic hilltop in the Latrun salient in the Ayalon Valley. It overlooks the road between Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, 25 kilometers west of Jerusalem and 14 kilometers southeast of Ramle. It was the site of fierce fighting during the 1948 war. From 1948 to 1967, Jordan occupied it at the edge of a no man's land between the armistice lines known as the Latrun salient. In the 1967 war, it was occupied by Israel. Since then, it’s become a land of many tourist attractions, forests, and communities that have filled the area with a variety of cultural, culinary, and artistic vibes.