New tourism trend: Israeli tourists head for Syria border (video)

The latest destination on the Israeli tour map is the border with Syria. Tourists are flocking there, armed with cameras and binoculars, hoping to catch a glimpse of the action.

This is, apparently, the latest craze with tourists, where they can hear, and sometimes see, the Syrian civil war blazing away on the other side - but from a safe distance in the Golan Heights. According to the Times of Israel, tour operators are finding this to be a popular trend and are recommending it to anyone who wants to see, well, something a little different. The idea was apparently sparked off when Defense MInister Ehud Barack recently visited the Golan Heights and was seen keenly watching events in Syria. Now Israeli and other tourists arm themselves with binoculars and cameras and head to the Golan Heights. Some live action enthusiasts are hoping to catch a glimpse of the savage fighting, which is unfortunately increasing, in the 17-month Syrian conflict. While the tourists might not always see battles happening, the exchanges of fire are apparently often quite audible. However, according to a police source, Israeli police are doing their best to keep the tourists away from sensitive army installations along the border.