Mount Hermon

Monday, 26 July 2021 - 11:00 am (CET/MEZ) Berlin | Author/Destination:
Category/Kategorie: General, Union for the Mediterranean
Reading Time:  2 minutes

Lake Ram and Mount Hermon © Idobi/cc-by-sa-3.0

Lake Ram and Mount Hermon © Idobi/cc-by-sa-3.0

Mount Hermon is a mountain cluster constituting the southern end of the Anti-Lebanon mountain range. Its summit straddles the border between Syria and Lebanon and, at 2,814 m (9,232 ft) above sea level, is the highest point in Syria and is therefore in two Middle East conflict zones. On the top, in the United Nations buffer zone between Syrian and Israeli-occupied territories, is the highest permanently manned UN position in the world, known as “Hermon Hotel”, located at 2814 metres altitude. The southern slopes of Mount Hermon extend to the Israeli-occupied portion of the Golan Heights, where the Mount Hermon ski resort is located with a top elevation of 2,040 metres (6,690 ft). A peak in this area rising to 2,236 m (7,336 ft) is the highest elevation in Israeli-controlled territory.

The Anti-Lebanon range, of which the Hermon range constitutes the southernmost part, extends for approximately 150 km (93 mi) in a northeast-southwest direction, running parallel to the Lebanon range on the west. The relatively narrow Hermon range, with the Lebanon-Syria boundary along its spine, extends for 70 km, from 25 km northeast of Mt. Hermon to 45 km southwest of it. The Hermon range covers an area of about 700 km² (270 sq mi) of which about 70 km<² (27& sq mi) are under Israeli control. Mount Hermon is a cluster of mountains with three distinct summits, each about the same height. Most of the portion of Mount Hermon within the Israeli-controlled area constitutes the Hermon nature reserve.

The mountain forms one of the greatest geographic resources of the area. Because of its height it captures a great deal of precipitation in a very dry area of the world. The Jurassic limestone is broken by faults and solution channels to form a karst topography. Mount Hermon has seasonal winter and spring snow falls, which cover all three of its peaks for most of the year. Melt water from the snow-covered mountain’s western and southern bases seeps into the rock channels and pores, feeding springs at the base of the mountain, which form streams and rivers. These merge to become the Jordan River. Additionally, the runoff facilitates fertile plant life below the snow line, where vineyards and pine, oak, and poplar trees are abundant.

Mount Hermon Ski Resort © lehava beitshean/cc-by-2.5 Mount Hermon Ski Resort © Noa/cc-by-sa-2.5 © Hannelb Lake Ram and Mount Hermon © Idobi/cc-by-sa-3.0 © Almog Mount Hermon Ski Resort in summer © AdamMinsker/cc-by-sa-4.0
<
>
Mount Hermon Ski Resort in summer © AdamMinsker/cc-by-sa-4.0
During the Six-Day War in June 1967, a part of Mount Hermon in Syria was captured by Israel. This part was regained by Syria on October 6, 1973, the first day of the Yom Kippur War, following the First Battle of Mount Hermon. After being repelled in the Second Battle of Mount Hermon, the IDF recaptured both the formerly Israeli-occupied sector and the pre-Yom Kippur War Syrian-controlled sector on October 21, 1973, during Operation Dessert, also known as the Third battle of Mount Hermon. The pre-Yom Kippur War Syrian-controlled sector was returned to Syria after the war. The Israeli-occupied sector of the mountain became patrolled by the Israel Defense Forces and the Israel Police, and the Israeli Security Forces have maintained a strategic observation post for monitoring Syrian and Lebanese military activity near Mitzpe Shlagim (“Snow Lookout”), which is at an elevation of about 2,224 m (7,300 ft). Its neighboring peak, at 2,236 m (7,336 ft), is the highest elevation in Israeli-occupied territory. The springs, and the mountain itself, are much contested by the nations of the area for the use of the water. Mount Hermon is also called the “snowy mountain,” the “gray-haired mountain”, and the “mountain of snow”. It is also called “the eyes of the nation” in Israel because its elevation makes it Israel’s primary strategic early warning system. Israel has created the same problems here as in Palestinian East Jerusalem and the West Bank. While the military occupation of Syrian territory by Israel as a result of the military conflict is covered by international law, the settlements violates the Geneva Conventions and are therefore highly illegal. Here, too, Israel put itself on the same level as Turkey (northern Cyprus) and Russia (annexation of the Ukrainian Crimea). This has consequences for the reputation and credibility of the country, especially since the international community naturally does not recognize any of the Israeli annexations. In addition to the foreign policy challenges that result from this, the illegal settlements are of course also a permanent attack on the country’s constitution, originally planned as a democracy, which has also been clearly eroded by domestic politics in core Israel.

Since the onset of Syrian Civil War, the Syrian-controlled Hermon has continued to be under pro-Assad forces, though clashes have sporadically erupted on the mountain range and spilled into Lebanon and the Israeli-occupied portion. Most notably the Islamist rebel factions of Jaish al-Haramoun took part in the fighting on the Southern slopes of the mountain.

Since 1981, when the Golan Heights Law was passed, the Israeli-occupied portion of the Golan Heights has been governed under Israeli law. Mount Hermon hosts the only ski resort in territory held by Israel, including a wide range of ski trails at novice, intermediate, and expert levels. It also offers additional winter family activities such as sledding and Nordic skiing. Those who operate the Hermon Ski area live in the nearby Israeli settlement of Neve Ativ and the Druze town of Majdal Shams. The ski resort has a ski school, ski patrol, and several restaurants located at either the bottom or peak of the area. In 2005, the Syrian government had plans to develop a 15-billion-dollar ski resort on the slopes of the mountain.

Read more on TouristIsrael.com – Mount Hermon Ski Resort, Wikipedia First Battle of Mount Hermon, Wikipedia Second Battle of Mount Hermon, Wikipedia Third Battle of Mount Hermon, Wikivoyage Golan Heights (Syria), Wikivoyage Golan Heights and Wikipedia Mount Hermon (Smart Traveler App by U.S. Department of State - Weather report by weather.com - Global Passport Power Rank - Travel Risk Map - Democracy Index - GDP according to IMF, UN, and World Bank - Global Competitiveness Report - Corruption Perceptions Index - Press Freedom Index - World Justice Project - Rule of Law Index - UN Human Development Index - Global Peace Index - Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Index). Photos by Wikimedia Commons. If you have a suggestion, critique, review or comment to this blog entry, we are looking forward to receive your e-mail at comment@wingsch.net. Please name the headline of the blog post to which your e-mail refers to in the subject line.




Recommended posts:

Share this post: (Please note data protection regulations before using buttons)

Port Vila on the island of Efate in the Pacific

Port Vila on the island of Efate in the Pacific

[caption id="attachment_151379" align="aligncenter" width="590"] © flickr.com - Phillip Capper/cc-by-2.0[/caption][responsivevoice_button voice="UK English Female" buttontext="Listen to this Post"]Port Vila is the capital and largest city of Vanuatu and is located on the island of Efate. Its population is at 44,000. In 2009, the population of Port Vila formed 18.8% of the country's population, and 66.9% of the population of Efate. Situated on the south coast of the island of Efate, in Shefa Province, Port Vila is the economic and commercial centre of Vanuatu. Port Vila is Vanuatu's mo...

[ read more ]

The Cayan Tower in the Dubai Marina

The Cayan Tower in the Dubai Marina

[caption id="attachment_26493" align="aligncenter" width="331"] Cayan Tower © Imad marie/cc-by-sa-3.0-de[/caption][responsivevoice_button voice="UK English Female" buttontext="Listen to this Post"]Cayan Tower, known as Infinity Tower prior to its inauguration, is a 306 metres (1,004 ft), 80 story skyscraper in the Dubai Marina by Cayan Real Estate Investment and Development. The tower is among the 20 tallest buildings in Dubai. The tower is designed by Skidmore, Owings and Merrill SOM architectural group, the same group who did the concept design for the Burj Khalifa also in Dubai and Trump T...

[ read more ]

Theme Week South Africa

Theme Week South Africa

[caption id="attachment_166136" align="aligncenter" width="590"] East London - City Hall on Oxford Street © Bfluff/cc-by-sa-3.0[/caption][responsivevoice_button voice="UK English Female" buttontext="Listen to this Post"]South Africa is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded on the south by 2,798 kilometres (1,739 mi) of coastline of Southern Africa stretching along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans, on the north by the neighbouring countries of Namibia, Botswana and Zimbabwe, and on the east and northeast by Mozambique and Swaziland, and surrounding the kingdom of Lesotho. South...

[ read more ]

Lausanne, the perfect symbiosis of life style and business

Lausanne, the perfect symbiosis of life style and business

[caption id="attachment_160486" align="aligncenter" width="590"] Lausanne, Lake Geneva and the Alps © Jamcib[/caption][responsivevoice_button voice="UK English Female" buttontext="Listen to this Post"]Lausanne is a city in Romandy, the French-speaking part of Switzerland, and is the capital of the canton of Vaud. The seat of the district of Lausanne, the city is situated on the shores of Lake Geneva (French: Lac Léman). It faces the French town of Évian-les-Bains, with the Jura mountains to its north-west. Lausanne is located 62 km (39 mi) northeast of Geneva. Lausanne has a lot of monument...

[ read more ]

Theme Week Carinthia - Wolfsberg

Theme Week Carinthia - Wolfsberg

[caption id="attachment_153252" align="aligncenter" width="590"] Wolfsberg Castle © Neithan90[/caption][responsivevoice_button voice="UK English Female" buttontext="Listen to this Post"]Wolfsberg is a town and the capital of Wolfsberg District. The town is situated within the Lavanttal Alps, west of the Koralpe range in the valley of the Lavant River, a left tributary of the Drava. In the northeast, the road up to the Packsattel mountain pass connects Wolfsberg with Voitsberg in Styria. Wolfsberg's municipal area of 279 km2 (108 sq mi) is the fourth largest in Austria. The area of Wolfsberg b...

[ read more ]

Panama City Beach in Florida

Panama City Beach in Florida

[caption id="attachment_164243" align="aligncenter" width="590"] © flickr.com - Bart Everson/cc-by-2.0[/caption][responsivevoice_button voice="UK English Female" buttontext="Listen to this Post"]Panama City Beach is a city in Bay County in Florida on the Gulf of Mexico coast with population of 12,018. The city is often referred to under the umbrella term of "Panama City", despite being a distinct municipality from the older and larger inland Panama City to the east, making Panama City and Panama City Beach two separate cities. Panama City Beach's slogan is "The World's Most Beautiful Beaches"...

[ read more ]

Theme Week Afghanistan - Herat

Theme Week Afghanistan - Herat

[caption id="attachment_209175" align="aligncenter" width="590"] Gawhar Shad Mausoleum © Alimosavisam/cc-by-sa-4.0[/caption][responsivevoice_button voice="UK English Female" buttontext="Listen to this Post"]Herāt is the third-largest city of Afghanistan. It has a population of about 507,000, and serves as the capital of Herat Province, situated in the fertile valley of the Hari River in the western part of the country. It is linked with Kandahar, Kabul, and Mazar-i-Sharif via Highway 1 or the ring road. It is further linked to the city of Mashhad in neighboring Iran through the border town o...

[ read more ]

German Unity Day

German Unity Day

[caption id="attachment_2486" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="Tag der Deutschen Einheit 2011 © bonn.de"][/caption][responsivevoice_button voice="UK English Female" buttontext="Listen to this Post"]For 28 years, the Berlin Wall cemented the political division of Germany and Europe. It became a symbol of the Cold War, which split the world politically into an eastern and a western hemisphere. Over one hundred people died attempting to get past the heavily guarded Wall. In the end, the internal and external pressure on the GDR leadership increased so much that a chain of events was trig...

[ read more ]

Theme Week East Jerusalem - The Jaffa Gate

Theme Week East Jerusalem - The Jaffa Gate

[caption id="attachment_168684" align="aligncenter" width="590"] Jaffa Gate plaque © Djampa/cc-by-sa-4.0[/caption][responsivevoice_button voice="UK English Female" buttontext="Listen to this Post"]Jaffa Gate (Bab al-Khalil, Hebron Gate) is a stone portal in the historic walls of the Arabic East Jerusalem (Old City). It is one of eight gates in Jerusalem's Old City walls (Damascus Gate, Dung Gate, Golden Gate, Herod's Gate, Huldah Gates, Jaffa Gate, Lions' Gate, New Gate, and Zion Gate). The Crusaders calling it "David's Gate". Jaffa Gate is the only one of the Old City gates positioned at a r...

[ read more ]

Old Montreal in Montreal

Old Montreal in Montreal

[caption id="attachment_233537" align="aligncenter" width="590"] Notre-Dame Basilica © Diego Delso/cc-by-sa-4.0[/caption][responsivevoice_button voice="UK English Female" buttontext="Listen to this Post"]Old Montreal (French: Vieux-Montréal) is a historic neighbourhood within the municipality of Montreal in the province of Quebec, Canada. Home to the Old Port of Montreal, the neighbourhood is bordered on the west by McGill Street, on the north by Ruelle des Fortifications, on the east by rue Saint-André, and on the south by the Saint Lawrence River. Following recent amendments, the neighbou...

[ read more ]

Return to TopReturn to Top
Front Street © JoeyBagODonuts/cc-by-sa-3.0
Hamilton on the Islands of Bermuda

The City of Hamilton, in Pembroke Parish, is the territorial capital of the British Overseas Territory of Bermuda. It is...

Piazza del Campidoglio, on the top of Capitoline Hill, with the Palazzo Senatorio © Alvesgaspar/cc-by-sa-4.0
Capitoline Hill in Rome

The Capitolium or Capitoline Hill (Italian: Campidoglio), between the Forum and the Campus Martius, is one of the Seven Hills...

© flickr.com - Chris Eason/cc-by-2-0
The Millennium Biltmore Hotel in Los Angeles

The Millennium Biltmore Hotel, originally the Los Angeles Biltmore of the Bowman-Biltmore Hotels group, is a luxury hotel located opposite...

Schließen