An Israeli bill that would expand civilian control over ancient sites in the West Bank has drawn criticism from Palestinians and Israeli rights groups who say it amounts to annexation of occupied land and would expand Jewish settlements.
The “Heritage Authority in Judea and Samaria” bill passed in one of three votes in Israel’s parliament in May, but it is unclear whether the final vote will take place before parliament disperses ahead of elections scheduled for October 27.
The bill would put management of Roman, Byzantine and Crusader-era sites under the management of Israel’s Heritage Ministry and allow related “expropriation and purchase of real estate” in the West Bank, which Israel calls by its Hebrew biblical name.
In effect, that would take oversight of some ancient sites away from the Western-backed Palestinian Authority, which under the Oslo peace accords of the 1990s has exercised limited self-government in parts of the West Bank, territory Israel captured in a 1967 war.
Palestinian Authority Tourism Minister Hani Al-Hayek said that “control over these antiquities aims to expand control and expand settlements in these areas, deep in the Palestinian territories.”
Israel says the purpose of the bill is to protect ancient sites.
A town near the ancient site of Sebastia faces land confiscation
Peace Now, an Israeli settlement watchdog, said the bill “constitutes an annexationist measure in every respect” and would lead to a large-scale confiscation of Palestinian land.
Using archeology to expand settlements is not a new practice, but the scope of the Israeli government’s measures is unprecedented, Peace Now said.
One example is the Palestinian village of Sebastia in the northern West Bank, where residents, many of whom trace their roots to the land centuries ago, rely heavily on tourism to a nearby archaeological site.
The ancient site at Sebastia has ruins of the Israelite kingdom from the 9th century BC. C., as well as Roman, Byzantine, Crusader and Ottoman remains, archaeologists say. It is on a tentative list for inclusion as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.
In late 2025, Israel announced a plan to seize about 1,800 dunams (445 acres) at the site, which it said was intended to develop the area, affecting about 5,000 olive trees growing in the village’s groves, village officials said.
“They are incorporating areas containing water resources, roads and antiquities, leaving us as residents without any resources. It is part of the expansion of settlements,” said Sebastia Deputy Mayor Nizar Kayed.
Business had already been suffering since late 2023 with tourism falling due to the war in the region, said Nahed Sakha, whose Sebastia restaurant sits on land that will be confiscated.
“It seems that the Israeli plan is to isolate the archaeological site from the people,” Sakha said.
Israel cites ancient ties to land
Israeli parliament member Zvi Sukkot, who has been key in advancing the new bill, says extending Israeli control over the sites is aimed at safeguarding ancient remains dating back to biblical times.
“There is nothing here that changes the legal status of Judea and Samaria,” he said. Reuters.
“There are many people who resent our desire to demonstrate the ties between the people of Israel and this land,” he said. “All the stories in the Bible, all our history, the people (of Israel) were born in Judea and Samaria.”
Sukkot is a member of the pro-settler Religious Zionism party. Like many members of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition, he opposes the creation of a Palestinian state and advocates the annexation of the West Bank.
UN agencies and most countries consider Israel’s settlements to be illegal under international law, violating the provision of the Fourth Geneva Convention that prohibits the transfer of civilians to occupied territory.
Israel rejects this view and claims that the West Bank, which it captured in the 1967 war, is disputed territory. He cites security needs and biblical and historical ties to the land.
But the new bill has also caused concern among legal officials in Israel’s defense establishment and Israeli scientists.
In an open letter to Netanyahu and Sukkot, the Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities called for its removal.
“This will undoubtedly lead to an immediate deterioration of Israel’s international relations in the field of archaeology, and will also have an impact on other areas of science and research,” the academy said.
