Israel ramps up West Bank digs to reinforce Jewish historical claims

The Israeli government, backed by a cohort of archaeologists, has begun a multi-year push to excavate and restore archaeological sites across the West Bank (referred to by Israelis as Judea and Samaria) after decades of relative restraint. International critics warn that digging in territory widely regarded as occupied risks politicizing heritage and violating the area’s unresolved status. Supporters, led by Heritage Minister Amichai Eliyahu, say the work is necessary to stop damage, graffiti and looting, to preserve ancient sites and to develop them as tourist and educational destinations.

Eliyahu, in an interview, framed the campaign as both a preservation effort and a way to assert the Jewish historical connection to the land, citing sites such as Shiloh, Hebron and Sebastia and invoking international-era documents like the Balfour Declaration and the San Remo decisions to justify Israeli activity. He compared the threat to site destruction to the actions of ISIS, said archaeology is part of an ideological struggle over memory and identity, and described plans to reconstruct and present biblical-era remains with modern technology. The initiative is intended to bolster Israel’s historical narrative but is likely to deepen tensions with Palestinians and draw further international scrutiny, as reported by Jerusalem Post

This story has also been reported by: The Syrian Observer, SANA