Recently, I traveled to the north. Like many others, I was looking for some fresh air, greenery, quiet, and an escape from the scorching heat of August. The roads were crowded, the guesthouses and hotels were full, but what I encountered on the ground broke my heart: Quite a few tourist sites and attractions were empty, neglected, almost deserted. Right at the peak of the season, when the north is supposed to be full of visitors’ noise, I got a picture of a region that has still not managed to recover from the long war. Among other places, I passed by Lake Montfort, a site that was once a gem and a major attraction, and today stood quiet, sparse, far from the vitality I remembered.
This feeling does not leave me. In the north, it is not enough to rebuild the houses that were damaged; the local economy must also be revived, and the most critical link in the chain is tourism. It is tourism that brings the crowds, the revenue, the jobs, and the sense of life. Those who know the north know: This is a wonderful land with breathtaking sites, unparalleled nature, streams, mountains, green groves, and a heritage that can touch every Israeli and every foreign visitor. But for this potential to be realized, broad investment is required—not in small programs or half measures, but in massive budgets that will return the north to a path of growth and prosperity.
It must be said simply: Tourism is a fast and effective growth engine, primarily economic. It does not depend solely on factories or institutions, but on people who come to spend time, eat at local restaurants, rent guest rooms, buy gifts in small shops, and enjoy attractions. Every shekel a visitor leaves in the north immediately circulates to dozens of families who depend on this livelihood. Tourism also revitalizes agriculture, local culture, and the social resilience of cities, kibbutzim, and moshavim. When there is no tourism—there is no livelihood; and when there is no livelihood—the community weakens and leaves. This is a cycle that must be broken, and quickly.
Recently, I completed another term as chairperson at Rosh Hanikra Caves, a unique nature site, internationally remarkable, well-known, and a tourist anchor in the Western Galilee. I know firsthand how eager the public is to return and travel in the north. I saw with my own eyes how investment in infrastructure, innovative visitor experiences, and continuous service improvement bring results. When the public receives a quality product, they come. And when they come, residents benefit from income, settlements are renewed, and life returns to its course.
This is not a gift to the residents of the north; it is a fundamental national interest: To revive an entire region, provide it with a horizon, and strengthen the resilience of the State of Israel as a whole. Anyone visiting Rosh Hanikra will see how investments made in recent years, along with excellent service, have turned the site into a magnet for hundreds of thousands of visitors annually—a model that can be replicated in other sites.
At the same time, I look at the bigger picture. The world is changing, and reports of antisemitic incidents are increasing. This is not only about Israelis affected abroad but about many Jews in countries that were once considered friendly and safe. Many of them feel alienated and isolated. Here lies a strategic opportunity: To turn tourism into a tool for connection. Israel can call on Jews from the diaspora—come visit, connect, strengthen us, and we will strengthen you. Such tourism is not just about the economy; it is a bridge of identity, unity, and practical Zionism.
Imagine a large-scale campaign speaking to every Jew in the world: Israel is open, Israel is beautiful, Israel is waiting for you. A campaign showcasing the Kinneret beaches, the nature reserves in the Galilee, the trails in the Golan Heights, and heritage sites in settlement centers. The benefit would be double—both to bring global tourism back to Israel and to strengthen our shared Jewish identity. In a reality where internal polarization in Israel threatens cohesion, Jewish-Zionist tourism can be a unifying and healing factor.
If we know how to combine massive investment in infrastructure and human resources in northern tourism with a global campaign inviting Jews from around the world to come here, we can create a double bloom: Both economic and moral. Tourism will bring life back to routine and give all of us—residents of the north, residents of the country, and Jewish communities worldwide—a sense of hope and renewal. This is the moment for courage, to put tourism on the national agenda, and to turn it from a sector left behind into a central growth engine for Israel in the coming decade. This is not a distant dream, but a pressing need and execution. If we raise it together, we will ensure a more vital, connected, and prosperous future for the north and the entire Jewish world.