An Israeli bill that would extend civilian control over ancient sites in the West Bank has drawn criticism from Palestinians and Israeli rights groups, who say it would amount to an annexation of occupied land and expand Jewish settlements.
The “Judea and Samaria Heritage Authority” bill was passed in one of three votes in the Israeli 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 place management of Roman, Byzantine and Crusader-era sites under the direction of Israel’s Heritage Ministry and authorize the “expropriation and purchase of real estate” in the West Bank, which Israel calls by its biblical Hebrew name.
That would deprive the Western-backed Palestinian Authority of oversight of some ancient sites, which under the 1990s Oslo peace accords exercised limited autonomy in parts of the West Bank, territory captured by Israel in the 1967 war.
Palestinian Authority Tourism Minister Hani Al-Hayek said that “the control of these antiquities aims to expand control and expand settlements in these areas, deep within the Palestinian territories.”
Israel says the aim of the bill is to protect ancient sites.
A village near the ancient site of Sébastia risks the confiscation of its land
Peace Now, an Israeli settlement watchdog, said the bill “constitutes an annexationist measure in every respect” and would lead to 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 of Sebastia has ruins from the 9th century BC Israelite kingdom as well as Roman, Byzantine, Crusader and Ottoman remains, according to archaeologists. It is on a provisional UNESCO World Heritage List.
In late 2025, Israel announced plans 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. This is part of the expansion of settlements,” said Nizar Kayed, deputy mayor of Sebastia.
Business was already suffering since the end of 2023 from the decline in tourism due to the war in the region, said Nahed Sakha, whose Sebastia restaurant is on land slated for confiscation.
“It appears that the Israeli plan is to isolate the archaeological site from the population,” Sakha said.
Israel cites ancient ties to land
Israeli MP Zvi Sukkot, who played a key role in advancing the new bill, says the extension of Israeli control over the sites aims to safeguard ancient remains dating back to biblical times.
“There is nothing here that changes the legal status of Judea and Samaria,” he said. Reuters.
“Many people are bothered by our desire to prove the connections between the people of Israel and this land,” he said. “All the stories of the Bible, all our history, the people (of Israel) were born in Judea and Samaria.”
Sukkot is a member of the pro-settler Religious Zionist 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 Israeli settlements illegal under international law, violating provisions of the Fourth Geneva Convention prohibiting the transfer of civilian populations to occupied territories.
Israel rejects this view, saying the West Bank, which it conquered in the 1967 war, is disputed territory. He cites security needs and biblical and historical connections to the land.
But the new bill has also raised concerns among legal officials in Israel’s defense establishment and among Israeli scientists.
In an open letter to Netanyahu and Sukkot, the Israeli Academy of Sciences and Humanities called for its abandonment.
“This will undoubtedly lead to an immediate deterioration of Israel’s international relations in the field of archaeology, and it will also have an impact on other areas of science and research,” the academy said.
