During the War of Independence, Kibbutz Gesher was the first settlement to face attack by a regular army, the Arab-Jordanian Legion. As early as May 1948, with Israel’s Declaration of Independence, the kibbutz members were the focal point of an Iraqi invasion.
Following the siege the kibbutz was totally razed, and became an outpost held by its members who fought bravely and withstood the attacks.
Kibbutz Gesher has relocated somewhat to the west, so that now, on the banks of the Jordan, stands the Old Gesher, a hidden scenic corner of geopolitical and historical importance with its border, three bridges, a junction of the road and railway track, an ancient Khan (inn) and a British police fortress. Opposite, on the other side of the border, the restored power station built by Pinchas Ruttenberg, “The old man from Naharayim”, can be seen and enjoys considerable prominence in the Old Gesher museum, also named after that project – The Naharayim Experience at Gesher.
In the historic dining room that has been preserved and rehabilitated, an audio-visual program is screened with a multimedia presentation that reconstructs life there. An electronic map illustrates the battles and defense of the bridge that prevented northern Israel being severed by the invading forces.