'Israel' declares 63 West Bank archaeological sites as ‘Israeli heritage sites’: Report
A report by a Palestinian non-governmental organization claims that 'Israel' has officially designated 63 archaeological sites in the West Bank as “Israeli heritage sites.”
The report argues that this is part of a broader, systematic policy to confiscate Palestinian land and reshape its cultural identity.
According to a report by the Applied Research Institute-Jerusalem (ARIJ) the classification of these sites was formalized through military orders signed by Brig: Gen. Moti Almoz, the head of the 'Israeli' Civil Administration. The report, titled "Archaeological Sites in Nablus Governorate: An Open Arena for Israeli Confiscation Plans," stated that 59 of the sites are in Nablus, three in Ramallah, and one in Salfit.
The ARIJ report claims that while such declarations are presented as measures for "protection and preservation," they are in practice used as a pretext to seize vast areas of Palestinian land. The report asserts that many of these areas are later converted for the use of illegal 'Israeli' settlements, military installations, and tourism facilities that primarily benefit 'Israeli' settlers.
The controversy highlights a long-standing point of war. For decades, both 'Israeli' and Palestinian authorities have used archaeology to support their respective narratives. Critics of 'Israeli' policy, including human rights organizations like Emek Shaveh and B'Tselem, have consistently accused the 'Israeli' government of using archaeology as a tool to expand settlements and assert control over Palestinian land.
A report by Emek Shaveh in July 2024, for example, detailed a military order to seize land at the archaeological site of Sebastia, arguing it was part of a plan to sever the site from the nearby Palestinian village.
The ARIJ report also provides broader context, stating that according to Palestinian data, the number of illegal settlers in the West Bank had reached about 770,000 by the end of 2024.
This action is also set against the backdrop of an advisory opinion from the International Court of Justice (ICJ) last July, which declared 'Israel's' occupation of Palestinian territory illegal and called for the evacuation of all settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.
