Golan Heights Petroleum road

Hi,
In some point of the drill we came across the Petroleum Road. This road is a straight road crossing the Golan heights from South to North. Back in the days the place was controlled by Syria, a concern of oil companies stretch the pipe (and the road to maintain it) from an oil field in Abqaiq (Saudi Arabia) to Sidon in Lebanon.

The pipe was began to build in 1947 and it was supposed to end in Haifa (back than controlled by Britain as part of the mandate), Like the Mosul-Haifa oil pipeline. But the Independence of Israel changed its route and it passed through the Golan heights as a reroute to Sidon. Those pipelines are the reason why Haifa have oil refineries (after all, in Israel there is almost no oil).

After Israel conquered the Golan height in Six-Day war (1967), the oil kept running until 1976. After arguing on fees, supertankers and high maintenance finally made  it unworthy to operate. Israel turned the pipe into a water line to supply water to settlements and agriculture use. Same was done with years before the part of Mosul-Haifa oil pipeline that passed in Israel

Part of the road open for civilians, and relatively in good condition near Keshet settlement

“In memory of Yoav Harob that fell in the area 17.07.1967”  I couldn’t find any mention of him. This is after Six day war, and he might have died from a land mine or car accident.

Now days the pipeline is being used to supply water around Golan heights

The road is now private owned, and the government and the national road company does not invest in it

The endless plains of the Golan heights. Too bad you can just wonder around. After all this is one of the most land minded areas in the world

Crown for glory to our friends of company A of battalion 377 that fell in Golan heights in Yom-Kippur war: Bashari Amram, Masinger Itzahk, Marko Gad, Sobotnik Nissan, Korin Yakov,  Sholmon Arieh (Lion). Let there memory be belssed”
This road was an important line in the Yom Kippur war and many memorial are spread along it.

A sign on the side of the road saying: “People have died here before you. Don’t hurry”.

Remains of an ancient settlement

Part of the road is in the IDF firing areas, and not accessible most of the day of the year. I still couldn’t understand for what are the circles on the road.

A memorial. In the bottom of each signs it is says Yom Kippur war. The small signs says “Renovated by Golan heights winery 26.04.2015″. The vertical writing are the name of the dead: Eliezer Lightner, Moshe Avnaim, Aharon Aharoni.

A flower bouquet of the Golan height runners, probably from Yom HaZikaron (Memorial day)

A small pool not far from the road

 

Lupinus

 

Some of Golan heights volcanos

  An eagle in the sky

The crickets play their song

 

Part of the Petroleum road opened to civilians, and maintained by the municipal authority

The line of masked Hummers lined on the road

The sun is up after another sleepless night. An the moon is also up