Page 30 - Discover Israel Magazine - UK edition 2018
P. 30
Latrun Police Fort. Corner of
Photo: Rachel Harel, Tourism Balfour and
Department, Mate Yehuda Herbert
Samuel
Special “souvenirs” left after the document that the two had submitted as a officer Sir Charles Tegart, who was known
British Mandate draft several months earlier, and according to as an expert on handling insurgencies and
which the British government would support fighting insurgencies.
Meirav Amitai Cohen the establishment of a national home for
the Jewish people in the Land of Israel. Today, it is known as a meeting point
When we think of the period The Balfour Declaration was a watershed for bicyclists or a site where soldiers are
of the British Mandate, we moment for the Zionist movement. The sworn in. However, if you listen closely, you
frequently associate it with declaration, issued in 1920, was the first might still be able to hear echoes of the
images of bridges being signal of the arrival of 1st Viscount Herbert many shots fired over the years. Because
blown up or green woollen uniforms and red Samuel and the start of the British Mandate it controlled the only road connecting the
berets, but when they left the country, the for Palestine. coastal plain and Jerusalem, Latrun was
British actually left behind special souvenirs strategically important in the battle for
like palaces, forts and military bases that are Although a century has passed, we can Jerusalem, and in fact, after a series of fierce
still going strong. One hundred years after still find reminders from the time the British battles, the Arab Legion got what it wanted
the ink dried on the Balfour Declaration, it’s governed here. Take a nice sunny day and and took control of the British police building
worth dedicating a day or two to see the let’s go discover them. on May 18, 1948. Latrun shifted to Jordanian
sites. control until the Six-Day War, and was only
Tegart Forts recaptured by the Kiryati Brigade and came
November 2, 1917. After months of under Israeli control on June 6, 1967.
diplomatic work by Dr Chaim Herzog and We’ll start our journey at the Armoured
Nahum Sokolow, British Foreign Secretary Corps Memorial Site at Latrun, were we Schneller Camp
Lord Arthur James Balfour signed a find the Latrun Police Fort, which was built
in 1940 by the British in order to control We’ll stick with the military feel, but will
the road from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. The naturally move to Jerusalem and make our
unique-looking building is one of 11 Tegart- way to Schneller Camp on Malchei Yisrael
type forts, named after their designer, police Street. The lovely complex of buildings, at
D I S C O V E R I S R A E L 30
