Tourism Ministry reopens access to Saint George Monastery lookout following 'Post' investigation

For the past three years, ever since the October 7 massacre, the road leading to the monastery has been blocked by a labyrinth of electronic arm barriers, and codes.

Following last month’s Jerusalem Post Magazine story on blocked access to the Saint George Monastery lookout in the Judean Desert, the Tourism Ministry this week announced a new procedure that once again opens up the breathtaking view to Israelis and tourists alike.

Licensed tour guides received a document saying that the ministry and the Mitzpe Yeriho settlement adjacent to the site have prepared a new paved driving route to the lookout that follows the community’s perimeter security road while completely avoiding travel through residential neighborhoods.

For the past three years, ever since the October 7 massacre, the road leading to the monastery has been blocked by a labyrinth of electronic arm barriers, and codes - some erected by Mitzpe Yeriho and some by the IDF.

Before then, the lookout for the fifth-century complex, where a handful of Greek Orthodox monks live, was a “must” stop for tour buses heading to or from the Dead Sea. Since the post-October 7 road closure, however, it has become a desolate and rarely visited destination.

Visitors must pass through three electronic gates

According to the new instructions, travelers must stop at the guard post at the entrance to Mitzpe Yeriho, present an identification document, and leave it with the guard. The guard will then provide access codes for the two electronic gates, which were erected by the settlement along the driving route. When drivers get to a third gate, administered by the IDF and the Israel Nature and Parks Authority, they must press the intercom to request that the gate be opened.

From there, it’s an easy four-kilometer drive to the entrance to the lookout. There, visitors can descend a steep, paved path heading down to the monastery, which is theoretically open daily from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. for visitors.

If it sounds convoluted or complicated, rest assured that the bureaucracy is well worth it for the astounding view of the fortress-like series of structures built into the severe rock formations of the Judean Desert.