The ANZAC Memorial

The Yad ANZAC Memorial, which is the second signposted station on the ANZAC Trail, commemorates the ANZAC soldiers who fell in battle in the Land of Israel. The monument was designed in the shape of the letter A, the first letter in ANZAC, and viewed from a distance it resembles a horse’s head. The cornerstone for the monument, which was erected with the support of JNF Australia, was laid in April 1967, to mark the 50th anniversary of the battles. The monument overlooks the former battlefields in Gaza.
The ANZAC Memorial is located in the heart of Be’eri Forest. KKL-JNF purchased the land in the area during the 1930s. On 6 July 1946, the first residents of Kibbutz Be’eri settled in the spot where the Nahabir rest area is now found, at the same time as 10 other Jewish groups settled on other KKL-JNF-owned plots in the Negev.

KKL-JNF, in partnership with the local communities, maintains the forest and has created hiking and cycling trails throughout. The trails pass several fascinating sites, including the remains of British bunkers dug during World War II and abandoned sulfur mines. The Nahabir rest area, which is accessible to visitors with disabilities, is located near the old kibbutz’s security headquarters, water tower and military positions from the War of Independence in 1948. During the month of February, the forest grounds are carpeted with beautiful red anemones that attract many visitors.

To get there: Drive toward Kibbutz Be’eri; before the entrance to the kibbutz, turn along the paved road to the right. The road runs along the perimeter fence of Kibbutz Be’eri.

Some 800 meters west of the end of the kibbutz fence, you will arrive at a junction. Turn right and after 1.6 kilometers is the old Be’eri and the Nahabir rest area. Continue another 600 meters to a T-junction. Turn right, and travel on the Mandate-era concrete road for another 2.2 kilometers to arrive at the ANZAC Memorial on the left.