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The Wrath of DavidThe monument made up of white stones appeared tothe writer as an ancient drinking vessel. It was here thatHagay’s South Korean friend read the passage:“And it came to pass on the morrow, when the Philistinescame to strip the slain, that they found Saul and histhree sons fallen in mount Gilboa.” (Samuel I 38:8).One of those fallen sons was Jonathan, the best friendof David who followed Saul as king. Despite the falloutbetween David and King Saul, David lamented theirOver the years, some have taken this curse literally, asthe reason for the baldness of sections of Mt. Gilboa.However, in more recent times, the Jewish NationalFund (KKL-JNF) has planted thousands of trees thathave greatly changed the topography of the mountain,although some bare spots still remain. Benny confirmsthat “even with today’s modern technology, nothing willgrow in these tough resistant spots.” The long arm ofDavid’s wrath persists through the millennia.Despite the ancient connection of war to the Gilboa,passing in a poem he composed, whose words - manybelieve - resonate to this day.“The pride of Israel is slain upon thy heights.How are the heroes fallen!Ye mountains of Gilboa!Let there be no dew and no rain upon you,Nor fields for first-fruit offerings;For there the shields of the heroes were tarnished,And the shield of Saul as though he had not beenanointed with oil.” Samuel II 1:21“the modern Gilboa is a symbol today of peace and coexistence,”says Hagay. “It is so wonderful is to see thehuge number of Israeli Arabs who participate walkingalongside their Jewish fellow citizens - totally relaxed -as if a fact of nature.” The Yezreel Valley has proved tobe the most peaceful area in Israel. “Not one stone wasthrown in this area during the intifadas,” says BennySegal, who praises, “my boss”, Danny Atar, the Chairmanof the Gilboa Regional Council, “Who has made it apillar of his policy of fostering good inter-communitySpring-Summer 201231