Discover Benjamin Region's Rich History and New Settlements This Sukkot
The Benjamin Regional Council is offering a wide array of activities and tours across the region during Sukkot, inviting visitors to explore its natural beauty, historical sites, and burgeoning settlements. The "Discover Benjamin Anew" initiative features six days of diverse experiences, including family-friendly vehicle tours, challenging hikes, farm visits, flashlight tours, and special events at ancient sites like Shiloh.
This year's program highlights "The Farms' Route," a newly accessible path connecting settlements like Ofra, Har Chatzor, and Kokhav HaShachar in eastern Benjamin. This route showcases the region's renewed life and the strategic importance of new farming outposts. Visitors can also explore "strategic settlements" established in recent years, such as Ein L'Tzion overlooking the Jerusalem-Tel Aviv highway and Ettinger Farm, which guards the ridge between Jerusalem and Modi'in.
The Hasmonean Palaces site offers a journey through over 2,000 years of Jewish history, juxtaposing ancient ruins with contemporary settlement efforts. In western Benjamin, routes from Kal'ei David to Ein Tevna provide views towards the coastal plain and Ben Gurion Airport, while another route near Highway 443 connects Beit Horon and Ma'oz Tzur, emphasizing the area's settlement growth and strategic value.
Additional attractions include Ram Farm, offering insights into agricultural settlement life, and prominent observation points like Har Chatzor and Har Kida in the east, and "Roof of the Land" in Horasha overlooking central Israel. Special, secured access to the biblical Gibeon site, known from Joshua's conquest, will be available on specific days, featuring archaeological remains and an ancient water system.
Shiloh, the ancient sanctuary where the Tabernacle stood for centuries, will host a family-friendly "Secret of the Incense" event with exhibits and workshops. Benjamin Regional Council head Israel Gantz encouraged Israelis to visit, experience the land, meet the pioneers, and counter what he described as a "de-legitimization campaign" against the region's farms by "antisemites and Hamas supporters."