Israeli military seizes plot in ancient West Bank ruin

The Israeli military has seized a significant plot of Palestinian land at the heart of an archaeological site deep in the occupied West Bank, where Israel’s Heritage Ministry plans to erect a “gigantic flagpole,” confirming the expansion of control over cultural heritage sites in the territory.

Historic Sebastia site targeted for development

The land seizure, ordered by Maj. Gen. Avi Bluth on July 10, encompasses a 1,300 square meter area at the summit of Tel Sebastia. Bluth cited unspecified “military needs” for the action, according to a document obtained by the Financial Times. The Israeli military did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Assaf Cohen, an aide to Israel’s ultranationalist heritage minister, affirmed that the seizure was part of plans to transform Sebastia into “a tourist site accessible to all the people of Israel, God willing.”

Sebastia, also known as Samaria in Hebrew, was the capital of the ancient Israelite kingdom in the Iron Age, approximately 2,900 years ago. The archaeological site, rich in historical layers, has become a focal point for Israeli religious nationalists who aim to develop and settle the area.

Sebastia’s significance is also recognized by UNESCO, with a Palestinian application in 2012 seeking its inclusion in the list of World Heritage Sites due to its importance in Christian and Islamic traditions.

Increased tensions, international criticism

The site of Sebastia is divided between Israeli-controlled Area C and Palestinian-administered Area B of the West Bank. The adjoining village of Sebastia remains under Palestinian civil authority, where a Palestinian flagpole was erected several years ago.

In 2022, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government allocated $8.7 million to develop Sebastia for tourism, a move criticized by the Israeli nongovernmental organization (NGO) Peace Now as an attempt to increase settler visits while diminishing the Palestinian presence.

Alon Arad, director of Emek Shaveh, an NGO opposing the politicization of archaeology in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, condemned the land seizure. He stated it was “another move aimed to disconnect the Palestinian residents of the village Sebastia from their heritage, deprive them of their identity and livelihood, and irreparably destroy the unique values that render the site worthy of inclusion in the list of World Heritage Sites.”