Israel Accelerates West Bank Land Seizures Using Antiquities Sites as Pretext

The Israeli government has intensified its control over land in the occupied West Bank, including areas under Palestinian administrative control according to the Oslo Accords. This expansion is being carried out by a unit within the Civil Administration, responsible for archaeological sites, with the stated aim of establishing facts on the ground before upcoming elections.

This unit, previously a small operation with ten staff and a budget of 14 million shekels in 2019, has significantly expanded. Its budget has surged to 124 million shekels, with staff numbers increasing to 60. The unit now acts as an executive arm for the Israeli Heritage Ministry in the West Bank, confiscating land and displacing Palestinians under the guise of archaeological discoveries. Recently, 19 Sri Lankan workers were brought in for archaeological excavations after settlements refused to employ Palestinian laborers.

The Heritage Ministry announced plans to allocate 113 million shekels for development at 70 West Bank sites, with 99.5 million shekels transferred in July. However, reports indicate that some projects are unrelated to actual archaeological sites. The budget for the Civil Administration's antiquities unit now exceeds that of the Israel Antiquities Authority, which oversees sites within Israel.

Plans include a "Heritage Road" project with a 500 million shekel budget for preserving and developing access to West Bank sites, alongside efforts to combat artifact theft and academic boycotts. Specific projects mentioned involve a national park in Sebastia and developments at Herod's Pool and the Pools of Solomon.

Officials have emphasized the urgency of these actions, stating that priorities might shift with a new government, hence the push to "impose as many facts on the ground as possible." A proposed bill to establish an Israeli Antiquities Authority in the West Bank was initially advanced but later suspended by Prime Minister Netanyahu due to concerns from the Israel Antiquities Authority about international cooperation and academic research.

Following the commander of the IDF's Central Command's decision, the Civil Administration's antiquities officer gained enforcement powers in Area B, leading to the confiscation of Palestinian equipment for alleged damage to archaeological sites. The acceleration of these measures is linked to the appointment of the Heritage Minister and the transfer of responsibility for the Civil Administration to the Finance Minister.

Despite expanded powers, the antiquities unit's influence wanes when it conflicts with settler interests. An incident involving settlers damaging an ancient water cistern and an archaeological site, followed by the unit's intervention, was ultimately overridden when settlers breached a fence, and the Heritage Minister visited to support them, with the Finance Minister later pledging funds for the cistern's restoration.

Archaeologists and activists criticize the unit's transformation into an executive arm for annexation and settler control, with a minimal budget for preventing artifact theft and vast sums allocated for land seizure, Judaization of the West Bank, and reinforcing settler dominance.