Reporter's Notebook: Tourists visit northern Israel as sense of normalcy returns to kibbutzim

A reporter's notebook describes the return of tourists and a sense of normalcy to northern Israeli kibbutzim near the Lebanon border, two years after the area was a warzone during the 2024 conflict with Hezbollah. The article contrasts the current atmosphere of hiking and crowded restaurants with the devastation of 2024, when residents were evacuated and Hezbollah missiles fell frequently. It notes that while the immediate threat has diminished, the war remains present in the distance.

A reporter's notebook describes the return of tourists and a sense of normalcy to northern Israeli kibbutzim near the Lebanon border, two years after the area was a warzone during the 2024 conflict with Hezbollah. The article contrasts the current atmosphere of hiking and crowded restaurants with the devastation of 2024, when residents were evacuated and Hezbollah missiles fell frequently. It notes that while the immediate threat has diminished, the war remains present in the distance. The article is a first-person account by Seth J. Frantzman, who drove to Kibbutz Dafna on September 29, 2026, and observed families climbing on former military fortifications and crowded restaurants. The piece reflects on the history of the region, from the 2024 war to the 1921 battle at Tel Hai, and notes that while the immediate threat from Hezbollah has diminished, the war remains present in the distance with sounds of helicopters and explosions.

Reporter's Notebook: Tourists visit northern Israel as sense of normalcy returns to kibbutzim