An initial $33 million was approved by the Israeli government last month to embark on a wide-ranging plan to preserve archeological sites in Area C of the occupied West Bank, including the remains of the Hasmonean royal winter palaces on the outskirts of the Palestinian city of Jericho.
Earlier this year, the Israeli Cabinet approved an additional $8 million budget for the restoration and development of the historic site of Sebastia – one of the most important sites to the Palestinians (it is on UNESCO’s Tentative List as a Palestinian World Heritage) in the northern occupied West Bank.
Together, these plans deliver on a coalition promise to the Otzma Yehudit party – led by extreme far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir – to allocate 150 million Israeli shekels ($41 million) for “safeguarding Jewish heritage" in the West Bank.
Besides, these plans are the result of an aggressive five-year campaign orchestrated by the far-right settler group Regavim called "Shomrim al Hanetzach" ("Guardians of Eternity"), which has been accusing the Palestinians of intentionally destroying antiquities as a justification to take over land, shape an exclusive historical narrative, delegitimize the Palestinian communities and their heritage.
"The government will invest a significant budget in the rehabilitation and preservation of heritage sites in Judea-Samaria, including the use of cameras and drones," Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said ahead of his weekly Cabinet meeting, stressing that the initiative was "unprecedented."
“In every corner of Judea and Samaria, one need only put a spade into the ground in order to uncover archaeological finds that attest to our deep roots in the Land of Israel. These are our roots and this is our land,” he said.
“This plan will encourage tourism, education, and (the presentation of) information for these important sites that tell the story of our people in Judea and Samaria,” the prime minister added.
The plan was submitted by Tourism Minister Haim Katz and religious extreme far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich.
"The West Bank is an inseparable part of the history of the Jewish people and the future of tourism. The ministry sees the great tourism potential in the region and accordingly invests in it. We will work to preserve and cultivate the West Bank," Katz said.
"Those unaware of their past and present will be lost in the fog of their future. The ongoing theft of antiquities in the West Bank, aimed at erasing Jewish history, will not succeed. We are determined to promote this important plan with the goal of fighting the criminal activity of antiquities looting and preserving our eternal homeland," Smotrich said.
The plan, as stated, is set to bolster the protection of what are referred to as “Israeli archeological and heritage sites” in the occupied West Bank.
Israel plans to install and deploy security measures such as fences, cameras and drones, and upgrade the infrastructure already available at the sites. In addition, a war room would be established to monitor the sites and collect intelligence to prevent theft and destruction as claimed.
The plan will implement projects for heritage preservation, digitization, storage of historical materials and community engagement through the adoption of sites by nearby settlements. Additionally, access roads will be paved and transportation solutions created to facilitate visits to heritage sites in coordination with the Transportation Ministry. The project will also include international campaigns that will demonstrate to the world the significant damage inflicted on history and archaeology throughout the occupied West Bank, as well as the promotion of research on the subject.
Itamar Ben-Gvir welcomed the decision, noting the $8.25 million plan already adopted earlier this year for Sebastia, Nablus, saying that the government fulfilled its promise to "strengthen the protection of ancient sites in Judea and Samaria."
On his part, the Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammed Shtayyeh responded that all of Area C should be within the final borders of a Palestinian state, accusing Israel of attempting to seize these sites to thwart sovereignty in the area, and calling on UNESCO to intervene.
The left-wing archaeological group Emek Shaveh accused Israel of “weaponizing” archaeology to justify “touristic settlements” that “entrench and expand the occupation and have become a central component in the present government’s steps toward advancing annexation."
Israel’s decision to preserve archaeological sites in Area C of the occupied West Bank is a matter of significant concern to Palestinians. The West Bank, under the Oslo Accords, was divided into 3 zones: Area A, B and C.
These area assignments were meant to be temporary, with land being phased into total Palestinian control by the end of the five-year interim period as designated by the Oslo Accords, which was set to end with final status negotiations in 1999.
Area C makes up 61% of the West Bank and is under complete Israeli civil and security/military control.
It is rich in natural resources and has many tourist and archaeological sites, water wells, Codeines Dead Sea minerals and cults, and Stone (including marble deposits). Besides, Area C has the potential for significant urban expansion to accommodate Palestinian population growth and economic development needs.
However, despite its acknowledged importance for sustainable development in Palestine and for the establishment of a sustainable Palestinian State, the Palestinian Authority has no security administrative control over this area and it is under full Israeli military control.
Besides, Israel hinders Palestinian development and infrastructure projects in Area C by imposing strict regulations and restrictions on Palestinian construction and development.
On the other hand, as of 2023; Israeli military zones occupied 29% of Area C, and Israeli settlements occupied 6% of C and these continue to spawn and expand.
By preserving archaeological sites in Area C in the occupied West Bank, Israel illegally asserts its historical ties to the land, and this action has severe implications for the Palestinian people on geopolitical, cultural, social and humanitarian levels and the prospects for peace.
By preserving archaeological sites in Area C, Israel reinforces its cultural heritage identity and narrative of its historical connection to the area as it aligns with its own agenda to solidify its control of the area and erase the Palestinians’ deep-rooted historical and cultural ties to the land.
Israel’s decision constitutes a provocative assertion of its sovereignty and control over the area, using archaeology as a means to solidify its claims as the strategic use of archaeological preservation provides it with the basis to establish Israeli settlements, thereby deepening the potential for annexing Area C.
As a consequence, this approach significantly impedes the establishment of a feasible Palestinian state with territorial contiguity, presenting considerable challenges to the realization of such a state.
This unilateral preservation of Archeological sites in Area C by Israel is deemed as a violation of international law and such actions create obstacles to any future peace negotiations, undermining the potential for a negotiated two-state solution.
