IDF Cancels Mount Dov Pilgrimage Amid Security Alert for Elections

The IDF has canceled the traditional pilgrimage to the "Brit Bein HaBetarim" (Covenant of the Pieces) site on Mount Dov, following a security assessment by the Northern Command. The event, scheduled for Friday, was expected to draw hundreds of residents from Kiryat Shmona and the Golan Heights, led by the Hesder Yeshiva students and escorted by the Hermon Brigade.

Elazar Pelai, director of the Keshet Yehonatan Field School, which organized the pilgrimage, stated that while he respects the military's judgment, the cancellation highlights the ongoing security challenges. "We trust the army's decision-making, but I want to express the feelings of hundreds of people who deeply wanted to be there at the start of winter to pray for rain and tour Mount Dov," Pelai said.

According to military sources, the decision was made due to heightened alert levels ahead of the upcoming Knesset elections. Following a multi-front situation assessment headed by IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, the military announced a freeze on troop leaves starting Thursday, alongside a reinforced presence of senior commanders in operations rooms to ensure secure elections.