The Israeli government has allocated 250 million NIS to a plan for heritage and antiquities sites across the West Bank, Jordan Valley, and Judean Desert, coinciding with the approval of over 100 new settlements and farms in the West Bank. This state investment, announced ahead of the anniversary in June of the Six-Day War, is framed as bolstering “the connection of the Israeli public to the Jewish people's historic assets in the region,” while critics assert it is an attempt at annexation that would place Palestinians residing in the region under Israeli governance.
The initiative includes the construction of new heritage centers, designed to function as research, educational, and visitor facilities. A multi-year plan, valued at tens of millions of shekels, will also be implemented to upgrade existing infrastructure, with the stated goal of transforming these sites into major tourist destinations. The government statement also highlighted efforts to prevent the looting and destruction of antiquities in the region.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that “in almost every stone, mound, and heritage site lie thousands of years of the Jewish people's history in the Land of Israel.” He added, “We are investing today in preserving our past in order to secure our future, strengthen our hold on the Land of Israel, and pass on to future generations the heritage, identity, and historical truth of our people.”
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich confirmed the plan's alignment with the approval of new settlements and farms, asserting its crucial role in strengthening the heritage of the Jewish people and their connection to the region. Smotrich stated, “Contrary to international hypocrisy, a people cannot be an occupier in its own land.”
Tourism Minister Chaim Katz and Heritage Minister Amichai Eliyahu echoed these sentiments. Eliyahu claimed that “after many long years in which the Jewish people's heritage sites in Judea and Samaria were neglected and at times even left vulnerable to destruction and looting, the State of Israel is today making a historic correction.” He added, “We are restoring Jewish heritage to its rightful place, investing in the preservation of our history, and connecting future generations to the deep roots of the Jewish people in the Land of Israel.” National Missions Minister Orit Strock described the issue as a matter of national importance, viewing the plan's implementation as a privilege aimed at developing the connection between the Jewish past and present.
The State's Apparatus for Land Seizure
The government’s plan to develop the West Bank into a tourist destination follows the passage of the controversial “Judea and Samaria Heritage Authority” bill, which passed its first reading in the Knesset plenum nearly one week ago. This bill has since been returned to the Knesset’s Education, Culture, and Sports Committee for further deliberation.
The proposed authority, if established, would operate under the Heritage Ministry, mirroring the structure of the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA). Its responsibilities would include the preservation, management, and development of antiquities and archaeological sites in the West Bank, alongside preventing looting, antiquities smuggling, and illegal excavations in the region.
Crucially, the bill grants this authority the power to expropriate and acquire land deemed necessary for the preservation of these sites. The government statement explained that there is 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.”
Supporters of the bill argue that such an authority is critical for protecting antiquities and heritage sites in the West Bank. However, critics contend that the legislative move is nothing more than another attempt at annexing the region. They argue that the bill would effectively place Palestinians residing there under Israeli governance, consolidating control over the territory and its resources.
Capital Accumulation Through Expropriation
Finance Minister Smotrich’s statement, linking the heritage plan to the approval of over 100 new settlements and farms, illustrates the direct integration of cultural initiatives with territorial and economic expansion. The state's investment of 250 million NIS and additional tens of millions of shekels into infrastructure and heritage centers directly supports this expansion, channeling public funds towards projects that facilitate settlement and tourism in the occupied territories.
The stated aim of turning these sites into "major tourist destinations" indicates a strategy to generate revenue and economic activity within the framework of an expanded Israeli presence. This economic development, coupled with the approval of new settlements and farms, serves to entrench and expand capital accumulation in the West Bank, further integrating the occupied territories into the Israeli economic and administrative structure.
The expropriation powers granted by the proposed bill provide a legal mechanism for the state to secure land for these ventures, directly serving the interests of settlement expansion and associated economic enterprises. This systematic expropriation of commons and state-backed development ensures the continued concentration of wealth upward through the expansion of settler capital.