The Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported Wednesday that Zionist Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government accelerated the seizure of Palestinian land across the occupied West Bank in recent months, including land in Area B, through a unit within the Civil Administration responsible for archaeological sites.
In a report published on Wednesday, the newspaper said the stated purpose of the land seizures is to “create facts on the ground ahead of the Knesset elections,” scheduled for October.
“Until just a few years ago, the Archaeology Staff Officer’s unit within the Civil Administration was a small unit responsible for overseeing archaeological sites and conducting salvage excavations—digs intended to ensure that no significant archaeological finds were present in areas designated for development,” Haaretz reported.
In 2019, the unit’s budget stood at approximately 14 million shekels, and it employed 10 staff members. Since then, however, settlers’ interest in archaeology has grown. At the same time, they realized that archaeological sites could be used to seize land, establish a presence, and displace Palestinian residents, the newspaper reported.
The newspaper also recalled that the so-called Heritage Ministry in the Israeli government “boasted” on Channel 14 about a month ago that it had allocated 113 million shekels for the development of and access to 70 sites in the West Bank.
A source familiar with the details told Haaretz, “This budget has not yet been transferred, and it is allocated for five years. However, according to the Budget Key website, two budget transfers to the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (Palestinian territories) were made in June/July for this purpose—the first worth 35.5 million shekels and the second worth 64 million shekels.”
“Work is currently underway at 10 of the 70 sites,” the source added. “Some of the projects promoted by the Heritage Ministry are not related to archaeology, such as the construction of an amphitheater. But the Archaeology Staff Officer’s unit serves as an implementing arm for the Heritage Ministry and the regional councils.”
Zionist archaeologist Alon Arad, director-general of Emek Shaveh, an organization concerned with archaeology and heritage rights, told Haaretz, “Over the past three years, the Archaeology Staff Officer’s unit has been transformed into an operational arm for annexation and land seizure on behalf of settlers. During the tenure of the current government, and under the enormous budgets directed to it, the unit has completely handed itself over to the messianic minister.”
“While a very small portion of the budgets transferred to the unit is allocated to preventing the looting of antiquities, millions of shekels are being funneled into the seizure of sites, the Judaization of the West Bank, strengthening settlers’ grip on the land, and advancing the annexation process,” Arad added.
The newspaper noted that the so-called Heritage Ministry did not provide a response. The Civil Administration, meanwhile, said it operates under the leadership of the Archaeology Staff Officer “in accordance with the law and the instructions of the political echelon, in order to preserve, protect, and develop archaeological sites and historically significant heritage assets throughout Judea and Samaria (the West Bank).”
Source: Agencies (edited by Al-Manar)