Saturday, October 15
Mount Bental
We also went to Mt Bental, a high ridge that overlooks Syria, and is the site of a fierce battle when Syria invaded there with 1500 tanks and 1000 pieces of artillery during the Yom Kippur war in 1973. Israel had 150 tanks and 60 pieces of artillery. Syria inflicted heavy casualties but the Israelis stood their ground, and “against all odds,” won.
This is the view into Syria. Just below is the beginning of a plain, still in Israel (the circles near the right are in Israel). In the distance in the center is a large UN compound, and on the left is a Syrian village destroyed in the fighting. Even further in the distance on the left is a new village built to replace that one, and far over the hill is Damascus, site of the current Syrian civil war and much death.
Here’s another view of the leftmost portion of that scene, with our guide Kira:
This is a map mounted at the site:
This area is peaceful now, but there is no border between the countries, only a “buffer zone.” Syria continues to see Israel as an enemy, but is now fully occupied with its civil war, on which the US news regularly reports.
Mostly unreported are the wounded of the Syrian civil war who are cared for in Israeli hospitals daily. The wounded are carried by comrades in Syria and left at the edge of the buffer zone with Israel. IDF patrols pick them up and carry them to the hospitals for care.
Honestly, it is bracing and a bit strange to stand here and stare into Syria.