For Israeli UFO researchers and enthusiasts, the pastoral town of Kadima in the Sharon region is considered the country’s modern hotspot for unexplained aerial phenomena. Reports of glowing orbs, mysterious landing circles, blinding lights plunging into the ground, and even traces of unknown substances have turned the area into a magnet for those seeking proof that we are not alone.
To explore this local mystery and perhaps witness something extraordinary myself, I joined a daylight tour led by veteran UFO investigators through Kadima’s quiet streets and surrounding woodlands. Our guide, Danny Yaakov, a 76-year-old artist and long-time resident, has been researching alien encounters for decades.
“Kadima Forest is a center for UFO sightings,” Yaakov explained. “Over the years there have been gatherings and even attempts to summon extraterrestrials. The most active period was between 1993 and 1998, though we have had more sightings in recent years. So many people here have reported strange phenomena that it is almost impossible to ignore.”
The Legendary Field and the First Encounter
Our first stop was a field near the former home of Ziporet Carmel, a key figure in Kadima’s UFO lore. The location is where, according to eyewitnesses, a glowing craft landed, leaving behind circular marks in the grass and sparking what locals now call the Sharon UFO saga.
In March 1992, Yoram Turbatian, a 68-year-old retired defense industry engineer, was alerted to the site by a friend. “When we arrived, we saw something unusual, a clear landing circle on the ground,” he recalled.
Carmel herself described awakening that morning to an otherworldly sight outside her window. “A large, glowing orange crate, like a box of oranges, was sitting in the nearby field. Beside it stood a very tall figure, about three meters high, wearing a beekeeper’s hat with a kind of screen over it.”
According to her, she felt an odd compulsion to go inside, heat some water, and make tea. When she returned moments later, both the glowing object and the being had vanished. She later documented the experience in her 1998 book “Facing Forward: An Alien in the Backyard.”
Turbatian said that after this first event, more landing circles began to appear around Kadima. “In one that measured 18 meters across, we found remnants of an unknown material,” he said. “Tests showed it was silicon with very few impurities, but we still have not conducted an isotopic ratio test. That is the one that could prove whether the material is terrestrial or extraterrestrial.”
Today, more than 30 years later, the area has changed dramatically. Luxury homes now stand where green fields once stretched. Yet the original landing site remains mysteriously untouched, empty, and overgrown.
A Fiery Orb Over the Neighborhood
Our next stop was the home of Avital Bar, 55, a local UFO researcher since the early 1990s. She pointed to the sky above her quiet street, recalling a sighting from seven years ago.
“It was a large orange orb, rising slowly,” she said. “Then, suddenly, boom, it shot straight up at a 90-degree angle, faster than anything I have ever seen. It was not a weather balloon or any aircraft I know. It had hexagonal protrusions, no engine, no windows. If you called it a hot-air balloon, there was no basket.”
Bar admitted she did not take a picture. “I was frozen, completely mesmerized. I did not want to miss a second by reaching for my phone.”
She moved to Kadima 30 years ago hoping to witness UFOs firsthand. “I came to study and maybe experience it myself,” she said. “And one day, it just happened, right above my home. Kadima really is a hotspot.”
The “Portal” in the Forest
Our final destination was Ilanot Forest, a beloved local nature spot and, according to many, the heart of Kadima’s mystery. “This area has had countless UAP sightings,” said Bar.
Yaakov nodded. “We are going to the place where the most signs have been found, mysterious lights and entities appearing and disappearing in seconds. We believe this is a kind of station, maybe even a portal.”
What is a portal?
“It is a spot where crafts seem to enter or exit the ground, a kind of interstellar train station,” Yaakov said with a grin. “People have reported floating objects vanishing into thin air. I once almost walked into one myself.” Despite the eerie reports, the place felt calm. Lush greenery, butterflies, and spring blossoms painted a serene scene.
When asked how it feels to see a UFO, Yaakov smiled. “Joy. I am not afraid. They know we are here and usually just ignore us. But if you get too close, then your body freezes. You lose all memory of the event until they are gone.” Turbatian, while equally fascinated, offered a word of caution. “If you ever see a UFO near the ground, keep your distance. It can be dangerous. To increase your chances of spotting one, come at night, meditate, and try CE5, Close Encounters of the Fifth Kind.”
And what about fear?
“If you come as a group,” Yaakov said, “the fear spreads out among everyone.”