National parks and nature reserves of Israel

Lore & Background

From the 1920s onwards, the British Mandatory government passed laws aimed at saving local flora and fauna, including a Hunting Act in 1924 and a Forest Ordinance in 1926. Many sites, such as the forests of Mount Carmel and Mount Meron, were declared forest reserves; certain trees were declared protected. In 1953 the Knesset passed the Wildlife Protection Law, and in 1955 the department for the improvement of the country's landscape was established in the Israeli Prime Minister's Office, tasked with creating tourist infrastructure. This department established several well-known national parks, including Gan HaShlosha, Caesarea, Shivta and Avdat. Following the ecologically disastrous drying of Lake Hula and resulting public pressure, the Hula Reserve was established in 1964, the first declared nature reserve in Israel. In 1963 the Knesset approved the National parks and nature reserves act, leading to the creation of two authorities: the National Parks Authority and the Nature Reserves Authority, which were merged in 1998 into the Israel Nature and Parks Authority.

Reader's Guide

The national parks and nature reserves of Israel serve a dual role: they protect biodiversity and archaeological heritage, but also reflect contested histories. The parks and reserves were frequently declared around the ruins of depopulated and subsequently demolished towns and villages of the 1948 Palestinian expulsion and flight, with 182 historical Palestinian built up areas located within them. The distinction between national parks and nature reserves is often hard to make; national parks are usually centered around archaeological sites but sometimes include protected nature habitats, while nature reserves often contain major archaeological sites. For example, the Hermon Stream Nature Reserve covers forested land and the ancient city of Banias/Caesarea Philippi, and Ein Gedi is administratively split into the Ein Gedi Antiquities National Park and Ein Gedi Nature Reserve. Some parks and reserves are located in the Israeli-occupied territories of the Golan Heights and the West Bank. In 2011, the most popular national parks were Yarkon National Park, Caesarea, Ein Gedi and Tel Dan. The last observation of an Arabian leopard took place in the northern Arabah area in 2010/11, and it is possibly extinct in the country.

Did You Know?

• As of 2015, Israel maintains 81 national parks and more than 400 nature reserves.
• 182 historical Palestinian built up areas are located within Israel's parks and reserves.
• The Hula Reserve, established in 1964, was the first declared nature reserve in Israel.

Scale and Biodiversity Under Protection

Israel's network of protected areas spans 81 national parks and over 400 nature reserves as of 2015, managed primarily by the National Nature and Parks Authority. Together, these sites shelter a remarkable breadth of indigenous life: roughly 2,500 species of wild plants, 32 species of fish, 530 species of birds, and 100 species of mammals. The protected areas are not confined to a single landscape type. Some, like the Alexander Stream, Mount Carmel National Park, and Hurshat Tal, are dedicated to preserving local flora and fauna in their natural habitats. Others, such as those at Tel Megiddo, Beit She'an, Ashkelon, and Kursi, center on archaeological heritage. Several parks also offer recreational infrastructure, including tent grounds and bungalows for small groups and individual campers. The network extends beyond Israel's internationally recognized borders, with additional parks and reserves situated in the Golan Heights and the West Bank.

The Palestinian Heritage Question

A significant and often under-discussed dimension of Israel's parks system is its relationship to Palestinian built heritage. Many of the national parks and nature reserves were declared around the ruins of towns and villages that were depopulated and subsequently demolished during the 1948 Palestinian expulsion and flight. In total, 182 historical Palestinian built-up areas fall within the boundaries of Israel's parks and reserves. This means that for a substantial number of these protected sites, the historic or archaeological character that justifies their designation is inextricable from the material remains of Palestinian communities. The overlap is not incidental; the designation of these areas as national parks or reserves effectively places Palestinian heritage under the same institutional framework that manages Israel's archaeological and natural sites. This layer of history complicates any straightforward reading of the parks as purely natural or ancient-heritage spaces.

From Mandate Laws to a Unified Authority

The institutional architecture governing Israel's protected areas evolved over several decades. During the British Mandate period, the government introduced early conservation measures: a Hunting Act in 1924 and a Forest Ordinance in 1926, under which sites like the forests of Mount Carmel and Mount Meron were designated as forest reserves and certain tree species received specific protection. After independence, the Knesset passed the Wildlife Protection Law in 1953, assigning implementation to the Minister of Agriculture. In 1955, a department for improving the country's landscape was created within the Prime Minister's Office, tasked with building tourist infrastructure; it went on to establish well-known parks including Gan HaShlosha, Caesarea, Shivta, and Avdat. A turning point came with the ecologically devastating drying of Lake Hula, which generated public pressure and led to the establishment of the Hula Reserve in 1964—Israel's first declared nature reserve. The National Parks and Nature Reserves Act, approved by the Knesset in 1963 after a legislative process that began in 1956, created two separate authorities. These were merged in 1998 into the single Israel Nature and Parks Authority.

Blurring the Line Between Park and Reserve

In practice, the distinction between a national park and a nature reserve in Israel is often difficult to draw. National parks are typically anchored to archaeological sites but may also encompass protected natural habitats, while nature reserves frequently contain not only safeguarded fauna and flora but also significant archaeological remains. The Hermon Stream Nature Reserve illustrates this overlap: it covers a stretch of forested land yet also encompasses the extensive ruins of the ancient city of Banias, also known as Caesarea Philippi. At the Judean desert oasis of Ein Gedi, the overlap is resolved through administrative separation, with both an Ein Gedi Antiquities National Park and an Ein Gedi Nature Reserve existing side by side. This dual character means that visitors to a single location may encounter both ancient stone ruins and thriving ecosystems within the same protected boundary. In 2011, the most visited national parks were Yarkon National Park, Caesarea, Ein Gedi, and Tel Dan, reflecting public interest in sites that blend history with accessible natural landscapes.

Gallery