A steering committee on Tuesday approved the allocation of NIS 113 million for the development of over 70 heritage sites across the occupied West Bank. This initiative, proposed by Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, aims to strengthen tourism in the region, including the preservation of sites, making them accessible, conducting rescue excavations, and developing infrastructure.
Smotrich’s proposal follows extensive work on heritage sites in the West Bank, carried out by the Defense Ministry’s Settlement Administration in cooperation with the Finance Ministry and the Civil Administration's Archaeology Unit. The archaeology unit holds responsibility for the preservation, management, and development of antiquities and archaeological sites throughout the West Bank.
This unit is also tasked with preventing looting, antiquities smuggling, and illegal excavations in the occupied territory. Smotrich described the plan as a “Zionist act of the highest order,” asserting that “A people without a past has no future.” He claimed the joint initiative advances a “historic and significant” effort to strengthen heritage sites, preserve the history of the Jewish people, and deepen connection to the “Land of Israel.”
Solidifying Occupation
Smotrich further stated that West Bank heritage sites are a “national asset of the highest order” that have been neglected for many years. He pledged to change this, aiming to preserve, develop, and make them accessible to “all Israeli citizens and visitors from around the world.” The West Bank contains over 2,600 archaeological and heritage sites, including the Cave of the Patriarchs in Hebron, the Qumran Caves, and Sebastia.
Crucially, several Christian and Muslim archaeological sites, such as the Church of the Nativity, are also located within the West Bank. The focus on “Israeli citizens” and “Jewish people’s historic assets” within occupied Palestinian territory underscores a clear policy of demographic engineering and land confiscation under the guise of heritage preservation.
This move comes after the government approved a NIS 250 million plan in May of the same year to preserve heritage and antiquities sites across the West Bank, Jordan Valley, and the Judean Desert. That earlier plan was announced in a joint statement from the Prime Minister's Office, the Finance Ministry, the Tourism Ministry, the Heritage Ministry, and the National Missions Ministry.
Rewriting History
New heritage centers, intended to serve as research and educational facilities and visitor centers, are slated for construction at sites in these areas. Their stated purpose is to bolster “the connection of the Israeli public to the Jewish people's historic assets in the region.” A multi-year plan, worth tens of millions of shekels, would also upgrade existing infrastructure, aiming to transform these sites into major tourist destinations.
The plan also seeks to intensify efforts to prevent the looting and destruction of antiquities in the region. The joint statement explained a need to create a “permanent, regulated civilian and tourist presence that serves as a meaningful deterrent against looting and destruction of antiquities, as well as strengthening the public's connection to the historical identity of the region.” This language reveals the intention to establish a permanent Israeli presence in occupied territory, further entrenching the military occupation.
International Rejection
Previous Israeli attempts to advance proposals regarding heritage and archaeological sites in the West Bank have consistently been met with international condemnation. One such attempt involved a bill to form a Judea and Samaria Heritage Authority, which drew widespread criticism. These actions are widely seen as violations of international law, which prohibits an occupying power from altering the cultural heritage of an occupied territory for its own national purposes.