אל על | אטמוספירה

See the Sights I Eat, Travel, Enjoy

Follow the heart: enjoy the beauty of Israel’s south and help it rebuild Since October 7, Israel’s south is no longer merely one of the country’s most fascinating and beautiful regions, it is also a symbol of Israeli resilience. We went back to the beloved communities and cities of the Hof Ashkelon Regional Council, and discovered places, people, and glorious fauna and flora, all blossoming back to life / By Ariela Aflalo

Since the start of the war, the Israeli public has shown immeasurable solidarity to the inhabitants of the south, forced to leave their homes and close businesses in the wake of the monstrous October 7 attacks. Now, as some begin to return home, it is paramount we keep on supporting them. MetGo (Metro Negev) and Tav 8, are two initiatives aimed at doing exactly that, in the Ashkelon coastal area and the Western Negev. MetGo is a tourism and leisure app that provides information about Northern Negev tourist sites, and Tav 8 helps

businesses in the Gaza Envelope by selling gift tokens to be redeemed in local businesses only. Thanks to this precious support, tourists have started to come back to visit the region, and new businesses have opened, in unison with the Negev red anemones, in full bloom this month.

October 7 happened, and life stopped. A little over a year later, some of the moshav residents have returned to their homes, and the visitors’ center has reopened, though now the tours, alas, also include chilling personal accounts from that terrible day. The tour begins at the observation terrace, from where you can see the sea, the vegetable greenhouses, beautiful green fields, the chimneys of Ashkelon, and Gaza as well. It’s hard to remain indifferent, realizing how close you are to it. The tour continues at the border wall, that rises to a height of 8,5m. The same wall that was supposed to protect the moshav. To soften the wall’s hard gray concrete look, visitors are invited to leave messages on pebbles and stick them on to create a huge “peace” mosaic. At the foot of the wall, the highest and largest flag in the country is hoisted, and next to it, a garden of 20 ancient olive trees with deep roots, was planted in memory of the 20 people who were murdered here on October 7. Entrance to the moshav and guided tours upon prior appointment, netiv10.co.il

Moshav Netiv HaAsara | Guided tours imbued with history

Just before the war, a new visitors’ center had been inaugurated in the moshav of Netiv HaAsara. Then

The observation terrace in Netiv HaAsara

14 ATMOSPHERE FEBRUARY 2025