West Bank

Knesset Deliberations on Annexationist Archaeology Bill to Continue; Conference on Archaeology in “Judea and Samaria” opens in Jerusalem

Knesset Committee to Deliberate Bill to Expand Israel Antiquity Authority’s Jurisdiction into the West Bank The proposed legislation to extend the Israel Antiquities Authority’s (IAA) Jurisdiction into the West Bank will...

Summary of Knesset Committee Discussion of Bill to Expand IAA’s Jurisdiction into West Bank

Last week, November 27th, the Knesset’s Education, Culture, and Sports Committee discussed a proposed bill to expand the Israel Antiquities Authority’s jurisdiction into the West Bank in a move that...

Press Release: Urgent Alert – Knesset to Debate Legislation Representing Annexation In Realm of Antiquities

This Wednesday, November 27th, the Knesset’s Education, Culture, and Sports Committee will deliberate a proposed amendment to the Antiquities Authority Law (1989)   to expand the Israel Antiquities Authority into the...

Alert: Military issues order to seize land at summit of ancient site of Sebastia

Yesterday (July 24th, 2024) we learned that the Israeli army has issued (on July 10th, 2024) an order to seize 1.3 dunam at the archaeological site of Sebastia in the...

Position Paper: Proposed Amendments to the Antiquities Authority Law to Expand the Authority’s Jurisdiction into the West Bank

Ahead of the Preliminary Vote on P/2345/25: The Israel Antiquities Authority Law (Amendment – Authority of the Israel Antiquities Authority in Judea and Samaria), 2023 Tomorrow (10/7/2024), a preliminary vote...

Annexationist Agenda Informs Developments at Antiquity Sites in the oPt and other updates

General Introduction Over the past several months, we have been monitoring a proliferation of activities to expand and deepen Israeli control at several antiquity sites in the West Bank. These the include declaration...

The IAA lead excavation in Area C in possible violation of International Law

In March, the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) and the Staff Officer for Archaeology (SOA) in the Israeli Civil Administration (ICA) led a public excavation of the Murba’at Caves at the...

Use of antiquity sites in efforts to advance annexation in the West Bank continues despite the war

General introduction While local and international attention is justifiably focused on the destruction and humanitarian crisis in Gaza, or on settler violence in the West Bank, processes tantamount to the weaponization...

Israeli Policy makers demand increase military surveillance and archaeological oversight over Mt Ebal/Tel Burnat and Sebastia

Sebastia: Yesterday, October 1st, Minister for Environmental Protection Idit Silman arrived at the site of Sebastia with Head of the Samaria Regional Council Yossi Dagan and members of the public. Signs...

Comments on the Inscription of Tel es-Sultan, Jericho as a World Heritage Site in Palestine

Introduction In a welcome development on Sunday, 17th September, the 21 State members of UNESCO’s World Heritage Committee gathered during the extended 45th session in Riyadh (Kingdom of Saudi Arabia) and...