The guided tour includes a visit to the Alexandroni Brigade Monument, with a view to the nearby area of Israeli Independence War battles (1947-1949), recounting why the Latrun area was considered strategically important by Israel’s first Prime Minister, David Ben-Gurion. The route will continue through Mizpe Harel, an outlook over the famous “Burma Road” which sustained Jerusalem during the Arab siege, and a drive on the road. Next in the programme is a visit to the Machal monument commemorating overseas volunteers in the Israeli War of Independence, the “Jeep Incline”, the Castel Fortress which controlled the road to Jerusalem, and a recount of the battles fought over the pass. The tour concludes in the Palmach Harel Brigade military cemetery in Kibbutz Kiryat Anavim, retelling of soldier accounts from the war, and a ride back to Latrun.
Image credit: Tzrif HaRishonim, Hod Hasharon, from PikiWiki.