Where you Vacation, We Live – Still, This Passover

Here you won’t find despair. This is Home, and this is a story about people in the Western Galilee who believe in the principle of “despite everything.” They come from different communities, senior professionals across the private, public, and social sectors; Jews, Druze, Muslims, and Christians; from kibbutzim, moshavim, cities, and villages.

We were here yesterday, and we will be here tomorrow.

We are called GalilWest; a pioneering program and a sister to GalilEast. Across both, residents driven by a sense of purpose seek to build regional leadership that strengthens our shared home. What unites us is a commitment to the region: to know it, to know one another, and to take responsibility for its future.

Michal Raikin, a resident of the Golan with an impressive record of public and social leadership, envisioned people who would carry this mission forward in the north. She began, and we followed. Today, we have established a kind of laboratory for regional change. We are already a growing force, bringing together 100 participants in partnership with others who believe in this path. Especially now, we know there is no greater hope than that of people who act together.

We wanted to share with you a morning we had here. Not headlines about rockets, nor another sleepless night. Rather, a morning dedicated to tourism, planned long ago. Tourism in times of war? Yes. Also. Perhaps especially. The paths of hope are unpredictable…

Every few weeks, we gather, hug, and learn about one another and about the diverse region we inhabit. We believe that through knowing, we can break down the walls between us and build a better future for our children and for the generations to come. This morning, we came together to speak about one of the Western Galilee’s greatest assets: tourism as a regional resource.

Many of you, from across Israel and beyond, may have already been on your way to us at this time last year, heading to a pastoral vacation destination: to our guesthouses, our revers, our Galilean food, Rosh HaNikra and the promenade by the Mediterranean, churches and ruins that tell a story thousands of years old, the markets of Acre, boutique shops, artists’ galleries, and local Galilee produce found everywhere. There is so much here that speaks to the body, the spirit, and the soul.

This is the time when, in ordinary days, you would come to visit the place we call home. You would spend your vacation where we live our everyday lives.

But these are not ordinary days. Our home has been quiet lately, often still. The sounds most heard have been those of explosions and artillery echoing across and beyond the border. And yet this morning, our voices were present and clear, even alongside sirens and distant noise.

We were joined by Amir Halevi, former Director General of the Ministry of Tourism, who now works through philanthropy as Chair of The Spirit of the Galilee, founded by Raya Strauss. He spoke about the importance of cross-sector partnership, because no one can carry such work alone. At the same time, much depends on entrepreneurs who continue to create, imagine, and rebuild, even after repeated hardships. And yes, they need support – from people across Israel, and no less from the state itself. Choosing to buy local is not a slogan. In a small country, it is a condition for sustainability. Even more so in a small region like ours.

We sat with inspiring entrepreneurs:

Ivan Sanchez from Jullius Craft Distillery in Kibbutz Hanita on the Lebanese border, envisioned a vibrant visitor hub called “The Backyard” – a shared space where artists and local tourism initiatives come together, turning your visit here into something special. No city street can match this experience – in its calm, its flavors, and the human connection that defines such a place.

Michal Shiloach, who moved from Basel Street in Tel Aviv to the rural setting of Klil, founded “Western Galilee Now”. This initiative created a network of small tourism businesses and built a shared regional platform. They have endured wars, a pandemic, and civil unrest, and prevailed, like the Galilee itself.

Two of our GalilWest fellows also spoke that morning. Racheli Pruschi gave voice to the idea of “social tourism” – tourism with meaning. As she said, people today seek more than leisure. Visiting a place like Café Ma’arag, part of Cochav Hatzafon (Northern Star) Association, is not just about coffee. It is an experience grounded in an artistic communal space created by people with disabilities.

Another GalilWest fellow, Guy Fomin, a resident of Liman, founded the Association of Short-Term Rental Apartments in Israel. What began as an initiative has quickly become a network with real impact. Following October 7, when hundreds of thousands were displaced, the association mobilized within days, providing 5,000 accommodation units, without bureaucracy and without hesitation. This is what partnership can do.

The Western Galilee is woven from countless initiatives and individuals like those mentioned above, who create something from almost nothing, who hold on to their vision even in difficult times.

So we wish to say to you, those near and far – we, GalilWest fellows and residents of the Western Galilee, are here and ready to welcome you. On the paths, in the restaurants, galleries, guesthouses, beaches, and streams – wherever you meet us, we will welcome you with an open heart. This day reminded us just how deeply we are connected to this place.

There is only one Western Galilee in the world. And it is here.