Galit Lookout at Nesher, Mt. Carmel

On The Wings of an Eagle 

Text & Photos: Lydia Aisenberg

On a beautiful winter's day, ascending the Carmel mountain range at Nesher, a city that these days sits cheek to cheek with the northern approaches of Haifa, eye-popping incredible views appeared below with each twist and turn in the road, making it difficult to keep one's eyes on the steep road ahead.

The higher one ascends, more spectacular views open up over the tree tops and high-rise buildings. The sweeping views continue onward and upward north along the Coastal Plain, flat as a pancake, and toward the mountain range in the near distance, which is the border with Lebanon.

First and foremost coming in to view from above is the gigantic Haifa Port, sitting snugly at the bottom of the mountain.

Dozens of sky-high bright red cranes are dotted all over the loading bays. Waiting patiently out in the sun-drenched waters of the Mediterranean, a group of ships have dropped anchor, awaiting their turn to dock, off load, take on new cargoes and head out once more to the open seas and their next port of call.

Climbing even higher, the Haifa Bay area opens up deeper and wider, incorporating a bird's eye intake of the northern Coastal Plain towns. These towns are known as "the Kriyot," forming one continuous development marching northwards, creating a wide, white band of buildings as far as Acre.

The Crusader walls of the ancient port of Acre become visible as they jut out, tall, solid and proud, cutting deep into the Mediterranean waters. One or two more elevated bends in the Mt. Carmel road ahead and the view suddenly stretches even further up the coast to the town of Nahariya and beyond, to the Israel-Lebanon border at Rosh Hanikra.

An eye-catching observation platform, with parking bays at the side of the road, offered a welcome pause in the journey, with time out to appreciate and truly absorb the amazing vista spread out below.

The observation point is known as Galit's Lookout. It consists of an attractive half-circular platform, paved with white stone and covered by an enormous spreading eagle's wing, held aloft by a wide, concrete pillar, leaning at an angle.

To the side of the sculpture, a large rock informs visitors that Galit's Lookout is in memory of Galit Arbiv, a young local woman who served in the Israeli Border Police, who was killed by a terrorist whilst on patrol in Jerusalem in 2002.

The memorial to Galit was erected by the Municipality of Nesher and the Israel Police Force, and is situated at a point directly above the city of Nesher ('nesher' means eagle in Hebrew). Nesher originally began to develop in the mid-1920s to provide accommodation for workers at the local industry known as the Nesher Cement works, which is still extremely successful today.

A massive Israeli flag stands on a tall, wide metal pole a few meters from the inscribed rock.

The flag continuously opens and furls as a strong wind blows, calms and then blows again. The loud flapping sound seems to be coming from the fully extended eagle's wing, sculptured from stone, above.

As this writer bends down to read the inscription on the rock, a number of squawking crows land noisily and briefly on the fence surrounding the platform, and after taking a quick shifty look around, take off and then land again atop the monument, literally on the wings of an eagle.

The dedication to the young policewoman, who lost her life whilst trying to save others, reads:

"Galit Arbiv, daughter of Sara and Ami, sister of Eliran, was born in Kiryat Bialik on March 10, 1981, and when she was 4 years old moved with her family to Nesher, attended Beit Yehoshua Elementary School and Nesher Comprehensive High School.

She loved art and stood out as a social activist in the community centers.

Galit served as a Border Patrol fighter and after her release joined the Israel Police and served at the Shaft station in Jerusalem. During Purim of 2002, Galit was on patrol when gunshots rang out in the Neve Yaakov neighborhood where a terrorist was firing in all directions. Galit jumped out of the police vehicle and stormed the terrorist, managed to hit him but sustained gunshot wounds herself and died.

For her heroism, sharpness of heart and courage, she was awarded the Medal of Courage by the Israel Police."
After reading the heart-breaking inscription and once more taking in the expansive view from this vantage point, where one gets the impression of looking through a wide angle lens – we continue to ascend the mountain range, passing under thick cables of the Haifa aerial tramway that runs from the south-eastern part of the city up the Carmel to the University of Haifa and Technion on the summit.

Within moments, cable cars appear like a pop-up Jack-in-the-box from either side of the road. A few of the passengers in the pods wave as they pass overhead, obviously also in awe of the incredible view they are experiencing as they glide up and over the outstretched eagle's wing memorial to a young Israeli policewoman, killed whilst on duty in the city of Jerusalem, aged just 21.