Jonathan Cohen's photos

Hula Lake is located in the center of the Hula Valley in the Galilee panhandle region in the far north of Israel. (Geologically speaking, the Hula Valley is part of the Syrian African rift valley.) In the 1930’s a plan took shape to drain the malaria-ridden swamps. This plan was carried out by the newly established State of Israel in the 1950’s. Drainage canals were dug and the outlet of the Jordan River was widened in the direction of the Kinneret Lake (also known as the Sea of Galilee). However, over the following years the peat earth that is typical of the Hula (that is organic earth rich in the remains of plants and animals) dried up, broke up, sank and even began to burn underground. Even worse, phosphates and nitrates in the earth began to flow into the Kinneret thereby polluting its waters. Therefore, in the 1990’s the Hula Valley was restored to its natural condition. The project included digging a network of canals that permitted the control of the water level as well as the height of the subterranean water table in the valley.

Can anyone help me identify the plant? Thanks in advance ...

I think that these flowers are "Jerusalem buttercups." If so, their name in Hebrew would be "Nurit" which has also become a common women's name in modern-day Israel.

The Hatsbani River (sometimes referred to in Hebrew as Nahal Snir), is the major tributary of the Jordan River. The Hatsbani derives most of its discharge from two springs in Lebanon, the Wazzani and the Haqzbieh, the latter being a group of springs on the uppermost Hatsbani. The Hatsbani runs for 25 miles in Lebanon before crossing the border at Ghajar and shortly after joining with the Banias and Dan Rivers at a point in northern Israel, to form the River Jordan. For about four kilometers downstream of Ghajar, the Hatsbani forms the border between Lebanon and the Golan Heights.