Workers build a railway from the Gulf of Aqaba to the Mediterranean in the 1950s (Screenshot of newsreel footage from YouTube)
In this newsreel dated 1959, workers lay track and cranes lower rails into place as Israel builds a railway from the Gulf of Aqaba, through Beersheba, to the Mediterranean.
According to the announcer, Israel had already built an oil pipeline over a similar route. The nation hoped the pipeline and railway would achieve a double bypass of the Suez Canal.
“In addition, the railway will help to develop and populate the Negev Desert,” the narrator adds. “At present, the desert is mostly populated by Bedouin tribesmen and their camels.”
“Some camels never learn!” he exclaims, as a camel saunters across the rails.
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(The Associated Press and Movietone News recently released their vast video archives on YouTube, allowing the public to freely access a million minutes worth of historical news clips dating back to 1895 — including many iconic scenes from Israel’s history featured in this Times of Israel series.)
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