The vision
Words of the initiator and founder of the Path of Sons project – Brigadier General (Res.) Amal Asad
The Path of Sons is a marked hiking route connecting the Druze villages on Mt. Carmel and in the Galilee – from Daliyat el-Karmel and Ussfiya to Jethro’s tomb, Nabi Shuʿayb.
Along the 250 km path, the first 18 cornerstones have been marked, in the wake of which observation points shall be built, designed to tell the story of the Druze minority – its bond to the land, and its role in building and defending the State of Israel.
The path is designed to enable the public at large to hike in the area and enjoy the enchanting landscape and views, visit and be hosted in the Druze villages, and become familiar with the people of this ethnic group and their way of life.
The project has been dedicated to the memory of the minority’s sons fallen in Israel’s wars. However, the Path of Sons is not a memorial project in the form of an inanimate monument. We honor the memory of our loved ones with an active, living site that speaks praise of the important values of our culture, and the vital connections in our lives. We wish here to express the fundamentals of our belief in the strength of the bond between the dead and the living, between man and land; past, present and future; man and fellow man, one people’s culture with another's.
Here on the path of sons we wish to provide a venue for understanding, recognition, identification, and expression of mutual respect between the dwellers of this land in the form of trips, hiking, riding, and sporting events in which all the People of Israel participate. We thus wish to honor the memory of our fallen dear ones.
Precisely at this time, with the flames of violence raging around us, we are proud to inaugurate the Path of the Druze sons, and we pray that this path connecting the villages shall also contribute to joining the hearts of men.
The path
– The path has been cleared based on existing trails, to encompass all of the Druze villages – from Mt. Carmel- through the Galilee until Nabi Shuʿayb. The path shall be marked and reclaimed as a route for hiking, running and riding on bicycles and horses. The Path of Sons shall be prepared for the holding of organized, large-scale social and sporting events, as well as private events held throughout the year.
– The path shall include observation points and bird’s-eye lookouts, from which the breathtaking landscapes enshrouding the Druze villages may be viewed. From the observation points, one may see the sites that teach of the beginning of Druze settlement in the Land of Israel, the pact made between the group and the State of Israel upon its establishment, and its way of life.
– These lookouts and sites shall be dedicated to the memory of the fallen Druze soldiers in Israel, their life’s work and affinity to the place, in the aim of endowing the values and example of courage, heroism, loyalty, mutual responsibility, and brotherhood that characterized their path in life.
– Organization of a main annual bicycle race and run in a variety of heats along the Path of Sons. The race shall be held on an annual basis, to establish a tradition of commemoration, and a framework for strengthening ties between the Druze villages and people, and the Israeli public at large.