UNESCO Adds Sebastia and Beaufort Fortress to World Heritage List Amid Israeli-Palestinian Dispute

UNESCO's World Heritage Committee decided on June 9, 2023, during its meeting in Busan, South Korea, to add the archaeological site of Sebastia in northern Samaria and five fortresses in the Jabal Amel region of southern Lebanon, including Beaufort Fortress, to the World Heritage List and the List of World Heritage in Danger. This emergency decision was justified by the ongoing conflicts in the Middle East affecting these sites.

Israel strongly opposed the move, with the Israeli Foreign Ministry calling on member states to reject the nominations, describing the process as a political weaponization of cultural heritage and an attempt to use UNESCO for political purposes. Sebastia, located about 10 kilometers northwest of Nablus, is identified with ancient Samaria, the biblical capital of the Kingdom of Israel. The site contains remains from the Iron Age, Roman, Byzantine, and Islamic periods, and according to Christian and Muslim tradition, it holds the tomb of John the Baptist.

The Palestinian Authority submitted the nomination for Sebastia in 2012, arguing that international recognition is necessary to preserve the site, which they claim suffers from neglect and lack of conservation under Israeli control. UNESCO's committee declared the site to have "outstanding universal value" but noted serious threats including Israeli occupation-related measures, land confiscation plans, projects that could alter the site's historic and archaeological character, and restrictions impairing its protection and management.

The Palestinian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities welcomed the decision as a national achievement in protecting Palestinian cultural heritage. Palestinian delegate Adel Naeem Daoud Atiya described the recognition as a reward for the steadfastness of Sebastia's residents who have protected the site despite occupation and restrictions. Conversely, Israel accused the Palestinian delegation of conducting a hostile and one-sided campaign at UNESCO, alleging they falsely portray an emergency to erase the well-documented Jewish and Christian history of Sebastia. The Israeli observer delegate called the politicization of UNESCO a disgrace that mocks history.

In parallel, UNESCO also inscribed five fortresses in southern Lebanon's Jabal Amel region, including Beaufort Fortress, as endangered World Heritage sites. These fortresses represent about 900 years of architectural development with Crusader, Ayyubid, Mamluk, and local influences. Israel opposed this listing as well.

Despite Palestinian claims of protecting cultural heritage, Sebastia has suffered damage in the past from Palestinian vandals, including a 2022 arson attack that caused extensive harm to antiquities and archaeological finds. Parts of the site were also defaced with Arabic graffiti, likely names of visitors.