The news: Arutz-7 is reporting initial approval of a promenade to be built along the entire perimeter of the Sea of Galilee. A Knesset committee has approved construction though the bill has to pass several additional votes before final approval is given. According to the article, youth volunteers have already been at work on 35 kilometers of the route. In 2000, a paved sidewalk was constructed on the north end of the lake in preparation for the Pope’s visit. One reason given for constructing the new path is to allow free access to the lake in spite of numerous illegal fences and barriers which have been erected.

My take: while one could argue that construction of a promenade will harm the natural environment, it also gives greater access to the area which is not currently available. If one wants to walk or bike ride around the lake today, one is largely restricted to the modern highway which is both dangerous and at times distant from the shore.

Sidenote: While I and many of my students have ridden around the lake on rented bikes, only two have run all the way around it in a single day. That’s nearly 40 miles as the road goes. I’m guessing that neither David Miller nor Will Custis ever do it again!