One of the oldest Israeli traditions is getting to know the country on foot. It dates back to the days following the establishment of the state, when young people and soldiers would go on long hiking trips across the country. It is, in fact, one of the still-revered sacred cows of Israeli society and one of the few older social values not yet shattered. In light of this, the education system, youth movements and various other frameworks continue to use it to educate youths and many other Israelis practice the tradition.
The country's numerous natural sites abound with marked hiking trails of a wide variety of lengths and levels of difficulty. Towering above them all is the Israel National Trail, which traverses the entire length of the country from Mount Hermon in the north to Eilat on the Red Sea coast. The trail is about 1,000 kilometers [620 miles] long, and it takes on average two months to walk it from beginning to end.
“The hikers embarking on the trip along the trail are, for the most part, young people just released from the army, and they often take the trip in preparation for the traditional [post-military service] big trip abroad,” explained Moti Ben-Shitrit, chairman of the Israel Trails Committee. The committee is responsible for marking trails and for maintaining and updating trail maps in accordance with planning changes on the ground, such as road building or the expansion of a village or a town. Consequently, the length of the trail varies from time to time by up to 100 kilometers (62 miles).
The trail opened 20 years ago, but hiking its entire length only became a popular activity in recent years. “To date, [several] thousand, if not hundreds of thousands have traveled along the trail,” Ben-Shitrit told Al-Monitor. “It did not catch on right away, but [as they say] good food cooks slowly, and in recent years, it has made a name for itself as an attractive brand.” Regardless, even Ben-Shitrit finds it hard to explain the secret of its magic. Be that as it may, he emphatically argues that it is one thing to tour the country and quite another to hike the Israel National Trail.
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