In the hills above the Roman columns of the ancient site of Sebastia in the occupied West Bank lie olive fields cultivated for generations by Palestinian families. One landowner, Abu Mudif, says he has received notification that his land is part of a tranche of about 450 acres that Israeli authorities are taking possession of in order, they say, to protect and develop the site for a major new national park. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing BBC News.
Typically, Palestinian landowners receive little or no payment for such land expropriation. Even when offered, most refuse, seeing acceptance as giving recognition and legitimacy to the loss of what they see as their patrimony. For Abu Mudif, it's a vital income to lose, but it goes deeper. "If I wanted to describe it, the closest description I can give is that it is like having your soul ripped away. I cannot imagine myself without my land," he says.
Nahed Sakha owns a local restaurant under threat of demolition. He says the Israeli plan seems to be to cut Palestinian residents off from the archaeological site, which dates back thousands of years and has significant remains from the ancient Jewish past, as well as many other eras including the Romans, the Crusaders, and the Ottomans. "Restoration work has now begun along with excavations," he says. "Landowners were told that no-one would be allowed to use or plough their land."
The concerns of the village surrounding Sebastia have been echoed by UNESCO, which has now declared it not just a World Heritage Site but also added it to the List of World Heritage in Danger. UNESCO says the main threat concerns the "planned expropriation and creation of the 'Samaria' (Shomron) national park, which could divide the property."
Standing on a path between the entrance car park in Sebastia, where the Roman-era forum once stood, and the columns of the basilica, village mayor Mohammed Azem looks down at rubbish left in the ruins. He says locals are now worried about reaching down to clean the area as it might cause problems with Israeli security forces and settlers. The path divides the site between Area B of the West Bank (under Palestinian civil and Israeli security control) and Area C (under full Israeli civil and security control).
Last week, Israel allocated roughly 113 million shekels (£27.8m) to expanding its control over archaeological sites in the West Bank. Some projects involve sites in areas administered by the Palestinian Authority. In the remains of the Roman theatre, Israeli activist Alon Arad, who heads Emek Shaveh, an Israeli group aiming to ensure the ancient heritage belongs to all communities, says Israeli authorities bypassed consultation with the local administration and residents of Sebastia. "The thing is that Israel is not the owner of this place. This is a Palestinian heritage site. And in order to develop it in a positive way, it has to be done with the local community, with the municipality, so they can benefit," he says.
The Israeli plans would see Sebastia's entrance moved to the other side of the vast site, away from the village and current car park and shops. The Palestinian tourism and foreign ministries have expressed hope that UNESCO recognition may buttress international support for their opposition to Israeli land seizures in Sebastia. But Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar has portrayed UNESCO's move as enabling Palestinian efforts to diminish historic Jewish ties to the West Bank. "No vote in an international organisation can change history," he asserted.
Further south in the West Bank, just in sight of Jerusalem, is Herodium, a manmade hill with an extraordinary palace built by King Herod, who ruled the Kingdom of Judea just before the Christian era. Recently, Israel has begun to expropriate land here too — about 80 acres — for what it says is the "preservation and development" of the site. Peace Now, an Israeli organisation monitoring settlements, says: "Under international law, as well as according to rulings of the Israeli Supreme Court, Israel is prohibited from expropriating land for settlement purposes or exclusively for the benefit of Israeli citizens. Consequently, in order for the expropriation to be considered lawful, the state will likely argue that the site is intended to serve both Palestinian and Israeli populations, despite the apparent fact that its primary rationale and purpose are linked to settlement expansion and Israeli control."
For Shmuel Browns, who has worked on excavations in Herodium and leads deeply enthused guided tours, it's vital for Israeli archaeologists and officials to be able to oversee and protect places so freighted with historical and religious significance.