A Ski Resort Where You Must Beware of Missiles
Mount Hermon in the Golan Heights, which doubles as an Israeli military base, isn’t the obvious choice for a winter getaway—but intrepid skiers don’t care
IN MID-JANUARY the week before I arrived at Mount Hermon, Israel’s only ski resort, two storms blanketed the slopes with 6½ feet of fresh, inviting snow. Less inviting: The fact that a missile fired by Iranian soldiers in Syria was shot down over the resort. Located in the Golan Heights, Mount Hermon is part of a lush and rocky landscape that the international community views as occupied Syrian territory. Israel first took control of the land during the 1967 war with its Arab neighbors. By 1971, Israelis had built the first ski lift on Mount Hermon, and today many Israelis regard the territory as an inseparable part...