From the Liveblog of
Tuesday, January 7, 2025
After IDF takeover, Israeli tourism firm marketing hike to Syrian Hermon peak
A month after the IDF took over the peak of Mount Hermon in Syria as part of the buffer zone following the fall of the Assad regime, an Israeli tourism company is already marketing a hike of the site.
The firm is pushing ahead with the unique route — planned for May 31 — despite the army declaring the area a closed military zone and saying it is only staying in the buffer zone temporarily until the power vacuum in Syria is filled and the 50-year Disengagement agreement is restored with a new leadership.
The company, Tiyulim Veagadot (Hebrew for “Hikes and Legends”), is marketing the trek as one for seasoned hikers to “the new peak of the Israeli Hermon (formerly the Syrian Hermon…).”
“Imagine Israel from the peak of the Hermon, at an altitude of 2,814 meters, in a place that until recently was a faraway dream,” it says. “This coming spring, we invite you to be part of history and climb to the peak of the Israeli Hermon that is opening to Israeli hikers for the first time.”
The hike is said to be between 12 and 18 kilometers long, with the cost being NIS 200 ($55) for a full day, including a shuttle bus and cable car ride. Reservations are to open two weeks ahead of time.
Speaking to Zman Yisrael, The Times of Israel’s Hebrew-language sister site, company co-manager Meny Nachman says the firm has its “own arrangements” with the IDF, sometimes getting access to closed military zones. He stresses that the hike will only go ahead with the necessary approvals, and that the company isn’t taking money until shortly before the due date.
However, the IDF tells Zman Yisrael that the hikers and organizers “have no chance of reaching this area because it’s a closed military zone and they won’t be able to come,” adding that there is no current intention to open the Syrian Hermon to Israeli civilians.
