AJ
The Israeli Knesset moved a step closer to the formal occupation of the West Bank on Tuesday, passing the first reading that placed Palestinian heritage and archaeological sites under direct Israeli control, in a move that aims to establish a new statutory body under the Heritage Ministry.
Israel’s Heritage Ministry would have sweeping powers to excavate, manage, and expropriate land across the entire territory, including Areas A and B, which are under Palestinian civilian authority.
According to reports, the bill’s progression followed a series of calculated administrative measures designed to dismantle Palestinian land and unseal ownership records for settler acquisition.
Earlier this year, the Israeli Security Cabinet repealed long-standing restrictions on the sale of West Bank land to settlers, further entrenching the infrastructure of the occupation.
Critics and international observers have warned this heritage law is a transparent attempt to bypass international law and the Oslo-era framework, using archaeology as a pretext to cleanse Palestinian identity from the land and create irreversible facts on the ground.
The escalation came in direct defiance of the International Court of Justice, which in July 2024 declared Israel’s presence in the occupied territories unlawful and called for the immediate dismantling of the settlement regime.
Despite the global consensus that these measures constitute war crimes and racial segregation, the coalition in Tel Aviv is pushing forward on efforts for its expansionist agenda.
By targeting cultural property and assets, Israel is not only violating the Fourth Geneva Convention but is also signalling its intent to maintain a permanent, illegal presence through systematic cultural appropriation and land theft.
