As we were preparing to send out this response last\u00a0Thursday evening, Israel launched an attack on Iran, opening a new front in the conflict. But while global attention shifts to the latest escalation, the situation in Gaza and the West Bank remains dire. We continue to monitor developments at ancient sites to ensure that actions taken under the cover of this new crisis do not go unnoticed.<\/p>\n
Download as PDF<\/a><\/p>\n In this context, we would like to share our response to the latest\u00a0report<\/a>\u00a0by the UN Commission of Inquiry pertaining to\u00a0Gaza, the West Bank,\u00a0East Jerusalem and Israel. We will relate to those sections outlining developments at ancient sites in the oPt and Gaza.\u00a0Those familiar with our work will not be surprised by the report\u2019s findings \u2014 the clearest and most damning to date regarding Israel\u2019s use of archaeology and cultural heritage in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, and its systematic assault on cultural heritage sites in Gaza.<\/p>\n The report published Tuesday, June 10th, by the \u00a0Independent International Commission of Inquiry\u00a0claims that some of the actions amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity of extermination. The report covers attacks on educational, cultural and religious facilities and draws a direct line between these attacks and the right to self-determination. In this position paper we will address the points made in relation to cultural heritage sites and landscapes.<\/p>\n Emek Shaveh:\u00a0<\/strong> This report reinforces a point we have long made: Israel is weaponizing cultural heritage to undermine Palestinian peoplehood. By severing communities from their cultural sites and landscapes, Israel is not only asserting territorial control but also assaulting the basic cultural assets that ground a community\u2019s daily life and collective identity. The development of these sites as exclusive, narrowly curated tourist attractions further betrays the rich, multilayered, and multicultural character that defines the heritage of this land.<\/p>\n In an article published last year for Haaretz, Professor of Archaeology, Rafi Greenberg, and Alon Arad, Executive Director of Emek Shaveh,\u00a0wrote about<\/a>\u00a0the destruction of cultural heritage sites as part of the attack on perception and memory.<\/p>\n Our response to the\u00a0<\/strong>report<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0in detail:<\/strong><\/p>\n Gaza:<\/strong> The Commission listed the attacks against several of Gaza\u2019s most important historic and religious sites and buildings, such as St. Porphyrius Church, in October 2023, the Great Omari Mosque in December 2023, the Pasha Palace struck twice since December 2023 and now completely destroyed and others. The Commission concluded that even when the presence of military targets were cited in the abovementioned cases, these would not have justified the enormity of the destruction – arguing that Israel failed to take protective measures. It also concluded that in the cases where demolitions using explosives were employed in the knowledge that these would cause extensive damage to civilian objects and were not proved as justified by military necessity Israel has committed war crimes.<\/p>\n West Bank:<\/strong> The World Heritage Site of Palestine: Land of Olives and Vines, Cultural Landscape of Southern Jerusalem, Battir (<\/strong>inscribed for the State of Palestine in 2014<\/a>)<\/strong><\/p>\n Nabi\u202fAner (springs, W. of Ramallah)<\/strong><\/p>\n Sebastia\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Susya (South Hebron Hills)<\/strong><\/p>\n Jerusalem:<\/strong> Elad\u2019s activities, such as the\u00a0Shalem Plan<\/a>, the\u00a0cable car<\/a>\u00a0and the\u00a0Siloam Pool excavation<\/a>, heavily supported by the Israeli government, include archaeological excavations, development of touristic facilities and the promotion of Jewish settlement in Silwan. Elad and the Israel Nature and Parks Authority present a selective historic narrative highlighting periods of history associated with the Jewish past of the city, particularly the Kingdom of Judea and the Second Temple period, while underplaying the significance of other cultures and historical periods associated with the site.<\/p>\n In 2024, Israel\u00a0demolished<\/a>\u00a023 Palestinian homes and a community center in the\u00a0neighbourhood of al Bustan in Silwan to make way for a new biblically themed park to replace the neighborhood of 1000 residents.<\/p>\n Changes in antiquities governance in the oPt:<\/strong> The report\u00a0claims that the stated goal of preserving \u201cJewish heritage\u201d is a fa\u00e7ade to further Israel\u2019s territorial claims, undermining Palestinian rights and deepening the occupation. It outlines a\u00a0detailed picture of systematic attacks on mainstays of Palestinian culture – including sites and landscapes.<\/p>\n In the West Bank and East Jerusalem, the emphasis is on cultural appropriation, whereby archaeological sites are seized, redeveloped, and narratively reshaped to legitimize Israeli territorial claims, while at the same time, Palestinians are severed from the sites and landscapes that are central to their collective and communal cultural identity.<\/p>\n Significantly, the commission highlighted \u2014 for the first time, we believe \u2014 the illegality of \u201crescue excavations\u201d that lead to settler-led tourism development. It cited that such actions violate the 1954 Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict. The report further noted the connection between these excavations, site development, and settlement expansion \u2014 all in defiance of international humanitarian law and the 2024 ICJ Advisory Opinion.<\/p>\n In Gaza, the targeting of cultural heritage sites was framed as part of a systematic strategy of religious and cultural erasure.<\/p>\n The report is important not only for its detailed references to Israel\u2019s actions at a series of sites in the oPt and how they should be treated under international law, but equally for its attention to the long-term consequences. It underscores the damage to non-tangible elements of culture \u2014 including religious and communal cultural practices \u2014 and the lasting impact on future generations of Palestinians who will no longer benefit from a cultural life rooted in the sites and landscapes of the land.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Our Recommendations:<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Emek Shaveh\u2019s response to\u00a0latest report by the UN’s Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territories, including East\u00a0Jerusalem, and Israel As we were preparing to send out this response last\u00a0Thursday evening, Israel launched an attack on Iran, opening a new front in the conflict. But while global attention shifts to the latest escalation, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1987,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"class_list":["post-2073","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-publications"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n
\nThis is the first report in years by a UN body\u00a0that we are aware of which specifically and comprehensively\u00a0addresses the issue of violations at cultural heritage sites and which encompasses Gaza, the West Bank and East Jerusalem.<\/p>\n
\nThe report finds that Israeli military operations have caused widespread destruction of heritage sites since October 2023. Over 75 cultural and religious sites in Gaza, were verified by UNESCO (as of 29 November 2024) as damaged or destroyed \u2014including mosques, churches, museums, archives, cemeteries, monuments, and archaeological sites. A more\u00a0recent report by UNESCO<\/a>, from the end of May 2025, not cited by the Commission’s report, increased the number of sites verified as damaged or destroyed to one-hundred-and-ten.<\/p>\n
\nFor the West Bank including East Jerusalem the commission documented numerous incidents where the authorities or the settlers seized or enabled the seizure of Palestinian cultural heritage sites. The report cited how these sites were excavated, developed, and expanded\u2014often for tourism\u2014and curated in a manner that excludes non-Jewish historical narratives. Palestinian access was blocked or severely restricted, effectively changing the character and use of these sites. It cited the phenomenon of\u00a0\u00a0\u2018rescue excavations\u2019 which have paved the way for tourist attractions controlled by Israeli authorities.<\/p>\n\n
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\nThe commission outlined the situation In the East Jerusalem neighbourhood of Silwan which is home to the City of David archaeological park reflecting over 7,000 years of diverse cultural history. Although formally under the oversight of the Israel Nature and Parks Authority, the running of the site has, since the early 2000s, been subcontracted to the settler organization Elad.<\/p>\n
\nThe Commission finds that recent changes in the governance of antiquities in the West Bank\u2014particularly Israel\u2019s\u00a0legislative<\/a>\u00a0move<\/a>\u00a0to transfer control of antiquities to the Israel Antiquities Authority\u2014 would be tantamount to de facto annexation (at this point the\u00a0bill has changed somewhat<\/a>, suggesting the establishment of a new civilian archaeological authority within the Ministry of Heritage to replace the Staff Officer for Archaeology). This shift in authority is viewed as part of a broader strategy to replace military governance of the oPt with Israeli civilian control in grave violation of international law.<\/p>\n\nConclusion:\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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