After a months-long environmental campaign, the IDF will not build the massive Ein Fit training base in the Golan Heights. IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir has decided to cancel the project, which was planned for an ecologically and culturally rare site known for its natural springs and historic terraces.
According to the IDF, the decision followed an internal review conducted as part of the military’s next multi-year plan, focused on assessing lessons learned and future training needs for ground forces. “As part of this process,” the army said, “the chief of staff decided not to implement the construction permit granted to the Defense Ministry for building the security facility at Ein Fit.”
The IDF explained that “canceling the project is based on an analysis of the expected activity of ground forces in the coming years — in both training and border defense — which is expected to change significantly as a result of the war. The planned complex would not provide an optimal operational solution for the army’s evolving needs, partly due to the geographic spread of training sites and the facility’s limited flexibility.”
As a result, the IDF said, the budget that had been earmarked for the Golan training complex will instead be redirected to building alternative training facilities that “better fit the IDF’s current training framework.” The military noted that the plan had advanced legally and with full coordination among all relevant authorities, through the Defense Installations Committee — a special planning body often criticized for its lack of transparency.
A rare natural treasure
The Ein Fit spring and its surrounding valley are considered a unique ecological and cultural asset. The area serves as a vital ecological corridor and critical watering site for local wildlife, as well as home to the ruins of an ancient Syrian village and historic agricultural terraces.
The IDF had planned to build a sprawling urban combat training facility there, complete with dozens of concrete structures and heavy vehicle traffic — meant to simulate combat in dense, Lebanese-style terrain. The plan was advanced through the Defense Installations Committee (known by its Hebrew acronym, VLBM), a process that bypasses standard planning laws and public participation. Environmental groups denounced the move as secretive and warned it would cause “ecological disaster” and irreversible damage.
Recently, representatives from organizations including the Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel (SPNI) and Adam Teva V’Din appeared before the Knesset, demanding that the project be halted immediately and that alternative sites be considered. They argued that the sensitivity and uniqueness of the Ein Fit area warranted complete protection.
Environmentalists hail a victory
Following the chief of staff’s decision, the SPNI praised the move, calling it “a victory for nature and the public.” In a statement, the organization said: “We welcome the army’s decision to preserve the unique orchard valley of Ein Fit — one of the Golan’s most ecologically sensitive areas and an important corridor for the region’s wildlife and plant life. This success, following a long and determined public campaign, was made possible by the cooperation of the public struggle committee, the Israel Nature and Parks Authority, the Golan Regional Council, the local council of Ein Qiniyye, Knesset Interior and Environment Committee Chairman MK Yitzhak Kroizer and its members, Adam Teva V’Din, amateur photographers, and nature lovers from across Israel who united around one goal: to protect nature, the landscape, and the public’s right to enjoy open, green spaces.”
The SPNI added that “Ein Fit is much more than its springs and wild scenery — it’s a symbol of the deep connection between people and nature, and a reminder of our duty to safeguard public assets and heritage. This joint effort proves that when people work together with persistence and faith, real change is possible.