Latrun - the bridge between the past and the future

On Wednesday, we spent some time in Latrun. This was, and continues to be, a very important spot on the road between Jaffa (and Tel-Aviv) and Jerusalem. Avi, our guide, explained that the fortress at this point commanded the road. In 1948, Israeli forces attacked five times and were beaten back and the site was not occupied by Israeli troops until 1967, when it was found empty - which it had been for two years.

On one side of the road, on the height of land, is the Latrun Monastery, a Catholic monastery which has been there for centuries (second photo from bottom).

On the other side of the road, on land leased from the Latrun Monastery, is a tank museum: the Latrun Armoured Corps Museum. This museum showcases the various tanks which played such an important part in past battles in this region. These include the Merkava series of tanks developed and built in Israel (bottom photo).

Also on this height of land is a radar observatory for watching bird migration (top photo). Dr. Yossi Leshem who directs this observatory pointed out to us that Israel is one of the best places in the world for watching migratory birds. Many birds prefer to migrate over land, so they travel over Israel instead of crossing the Mediterranean Sea. The thermals generated along the ridges are particularly favourable to hawks and eagles, and large numbers can be seen passing this site each spring and fall.

Dr. Leshem did his thesis work on bird migration and the use of radar to follow bird migration (second photo from top shows radar tracing of migrating birds). Until he came along, collisions between aircraft and birds were a huge problem in Israel. Following his work, collisions between birds and planes, and the related loss of life, have been reduced by 76 per cent, saving more than $700 million in damage to planes.

But it's the fact that studies of bird migration bring people together which has Dr. Leshem so excited today. Migratory birds do not recognize political boundaries. Dr. Leshem now has people from many different countries working together and it is clearly an incredible example of international cooperation.

Dr. Leshem turned to me and said, pointing to the tanks in the museum, "that is the history of the past. This [bird migration] is the future." Because Israel is such a wonderful site for bird migration, watching birds here is the future for tourism and the economy. Because it promotes international cooperation, bird migration offers people a way to work together.