The Palestinian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities called on Saturday, in response to the occupation’s approval of a draft law that stipulates the extension of the powers of the Israeli Antiquities Authority over the antiquities of the West Bank, to “confront” the decision to “annex and transfer control” of Palestinian archaeological sites to the Israeli Antiquities Authority.
The ministry called on "UNESCO and all international institutions working in cultural heritage to confront the occupation government's decision to annex and transfer control of Palestinian archaeological sites to the Antiquities Authority of the occupation government," and continued, "These criminal acts aim to control Palestinian heritage and plunder our people's cultural resources."
She added that "the Israeli occupation's evasion of international legal responsibilities and agreements related to the protection of heritage is one of the evidences that this criminal occupation seeks, within its escalating policy, to obliterate the Palestinian heritage, which is a witness to the right of our people and their close connection to the land of Palestine." She saw the Israeli move as "a clear plan aimed at Judaizing the Palestinian lands, empowering settlers, and isolating Palestinian cities and villages from each other."
On Wednesday, the Knesset plenum approved, with a majority of votes from the coalition and opposition MKs, and with the support of the government, a bill that would extend the powers of the Israel Antiquities Authority to antiquities in all areas of the occupied West Bank, according to the Palestinian Center for Israeli Studies (Madar). According to the center, the bill, initiated by MK Amit Halevy of the Likud bloc, “did not specify any areas in the West Bank,” considering it “one of the creeping annexation laws.”
The center says that the bill was included on the Knesset’s agenda starting with the twentieth parliamentary term (2015-2019), and later, by members of the right-wing settler blocs, but this is the first time it has entered the legislative process.
On June 28, the Israeli security and political cabinet approved steps to “legitimize” settlement outposts and sanctions against the Palestinian Authority “to counter the recognition of a Palestinian state and the measures taken against Israel in international courts,” according to the Israeli Broadcasting Authority (official).
The authority added that among the measures are "enforcing the law in Area B against tampering with heritage sites and environmental risks."
The 1995 Oslo II Accords divided the West Bank into three areas: Area A, which is under full Palestinian control; Area B, which is under Israeli security control and Palestinian civil and administrative control; and Area C, which is under Israeli civil, administrative and security control. The latter constitutes about 61 percent of the West Bank.
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