Photo by GPO

My honorable colleagues, Government Ministers,
Minister of Science, Culture and Sport Ghaleb Mejadle,
Minister for Environmental Protection, Mr. Gideon Ezra,
Director General of the National Parks Authority, Mr. Eli Amiti,
Director General of the Prime Minister’s Office,
Directors General of Government Ministries who are here with us today,
Chairman of Keren Kayemeth L’Israel, Mr. Efi Stenzler,
The Honorable Mr. Yitzhak Rish – I am very excited to see you (73 years ago, this man ran here on the hills, shortly before we came here),
My friend and adviser, Samir Wahabe
Distinguished Guests, Students of the ORT Hashomron School who are here – my neighbors from Binyamina, Zichron and Givat Ada,

I am pleased to be here today at the Mishmar HaCarmel Ranch.  This ranch, currently operated by the National Parks Authority, is an exciting expression of Zionist action which began, as in many other cases, with small groups of dreamers, of fighters – and Yitzhak Rish is still here to tell us their stories as if they took place only a few days ago, even though seventy-odd years have passed.  One cannot help but wonder at this story.  I am certain that Yitzhak will not be upset with me if I say that this story is not unique.  It moves us; it excites our imagination; but it is the story of the settlement of the new Land of Israel at the beginning of the 20th century, in which there were such groups of dreamers and fighters who settled the land – against all odds and out of a profound feeling of commitment, of love and of love of nature.  I will reveal something to you, since there are students here from the ORT Hashomron School.  In 1939, 200 meters from where your school is located, my parents, along with a large group of their friends – four years after Yitzhak Rish’s group founded Mishmar HaCarmel – established an “overnight settlement” called Tel Tzur, which in turn became Moshav Nahalat Jabotinsky, which is part of Binyamina.  There are many other such groups of people spread across the Galilee and in other areas of the country, and we are all proud of the legacy that they left us, and sometimes even miss the spirit which motivated them and gave them the courage and the strength to do what they did.

The love for the trails of this land created an extremely Israeli culture of going out into nature, or family picnics and of events among the trees, on the hills, near the boulders or on the seashore.

One of the more unique expressions of this lifestyle culture is the nature holidays and Tu B’Shvat is not the only one.  We are a nation which calls to our residents – from birth through retirement age – and encourages them to go out into nature, to plant trees and enjoy their blossoming.  Our souls are intertwined with the earth of this land, with the cyclamens and the trees, with the waves and the dunes.  Its vistas succeed in uniting parents and children, young people and old, religious and secular.  I am certain that we all have experiences from our annual school trips and family outings, during which we learned to recognize the ravines and cave openings and boulders and trails of the Carmel Mountains, the Galilee mountains, the deserts of the Negev and every corner of this land.

Photo by GPO

“Man is a template of the landscape of his homeland,” wrote the poet Shaul Tchernikovsky, and we all are a flesh-and-blood representation of the landscapes of our homeland and childhood.  In every generation, the landscapes of the land were an inseparable part of the personality patterns of those who lived there.

We want to preserve this legacy, to continue providing our children with “mountain air as clear as wine”, as well as “the scent of pine” – and while doing so, also educating them in the love of nature, respect for nature and welcome physical activity outside the home.

In order to encourage this and allow all residents – now and in the future –  to travel comfortably in Israel and more intensely connect to its trails, the Government decided on two national projects: the first – bicycle paths covering the length and breadth of Israel (and I was pleased to inaugurate the path which begins here on this hill with a very impressive group of colorful bicycle riders, which is currently making its way along the winding riding paths here on the hill); and the second effort by this Government will be the creation of a number of comfortable and innovative recreational and camping sites, which will serve as hubs of information regarding the region and other services provided to trekkers.

In the Government, we usually deal with problems that can be defined as serious, fateful problems which decide the existential questions facing the State of Israel.  However, every once in a while, it is good not to forget that what we most want once we have security and a feeling of stability, is that it will be fun to live as well; that people can travel and go out into nature and enjoy the infinite beauty of this land and feel it directly – not through photographs which someone bothered to take and not through films on our television screens (which appear close, but are nevertheless always very far away).

We want to ensure the leisure culture of the residents of Israel and create for them better, more convenient, pleasant and attractive conditions for spending family time together or sporting activity which will, eventually, contribute to a better, healthier lifestyle.

The Government resolved to implement these two projects with a total budget of NIS 145 million, of which NIS 85 million of the total will be directly allocated from the State Budget over the next several years, in order to establish bicycle paths across the country, and upgrading 20 existing overnight camping sites, and developing 12 new ones so that all camping sites in Israel will be available for public use and will offer comfortable conditions for having fun, day and night.

I am certain that this activity will contribute something, perhaps not decisive, perhaps not something that will change our lives significantly, but a small, important contribution to the quality of life and joie de vivre of all residents of Israel.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I would like to thank you my friend, the Minister of Environmental Protection and your office, the National Parks Service, my friend Eli Amiti, Keren Kayemeth L’Israel who carries on the immense historic legacy of nurturing nature and land in Israel.  This week we thus launch a week of love for nature, water and the environment, and I hope that this love will somehow add a dimension of happiness to all residents of the State of Israel.

Thank you.