How Israel dey use archaeology to wipe out Palestine

With about 6,000 archaeological sites for the occupied West Bank, nearly every Palestinian village get old-history. Archaeology get meaning for the future as e get for the past, but as Israel dey push annexation, na to clear history dem dey do — dem dey strip away every non-Jewish layer, dem dey cut Palestinians out of dia past — and this one dey clearly break international law wey forbid occupying power from taking land or cultural heritage.

After 2023 when civilian councils grab military authority, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich defence-based "Settlements Administration" take control of planning, land deeds, infrastructure and archaeology. With settlers put for the Civil Administration chain of command, the aim na permanent Israeli control.

Since the 1967 occupation — wey the ICJ deem illegal — Israel don expand settlements by land seizures, new roads, military zones and reserves, and dem don confine Palestinians into fragmented enclaves.

The Applied Research Institute Jerusalem (ARIJ) — a Palestinian research organisation wey focus on land, water and heritage rights — estimate say about 2,400 occupied sites don rebrand as Israeli through zoning, excavations and tours, wey be more than 40 percent of occupied West Bank heritage sites. The Civil Administration archaeology unit dey add dozens every year.

In 2024 Israel's cabinet extend Civil Administration control into occupied West Bank Area B, and reports talk say settlers dey informally manage additional sites under army guard. On August 10, 2025 the Civil Administration designate 63 new "Israeli heritage sites": 59 for Nablus, three for Ramallah and one for Salfit. About half na new declarations; the rest don long been signed but no declare. Once dem declare, the archaeology unit fit freeze buildings, fine people, draw borders, even raze homes — so archaeological jurisdiction don become one centrepiece of Israel's illegal annexation.

Excavation get violent side. To reveal antiquity, archaeologists dey erase later layers — Palestinian life dem fit wipe irretrievably — and the past wey remain na the one dem curate. Wetin dem preserve na selective.

Emek Shaveh, one archaeology watchdog NGO, note say Israel Antiquities Law limit protection to artefacts wey make before 1700 AD, so Ottoman and later eras and modern history remain outside protection.

Khirbet el-Marjame, one of the 63 sites declared in August 2025, sit for hill near Ramallah for Area C. Dem don document am since the 1970s; e get Iron Age fortifications with deeper Middle Bronze layers. The new archaeological zone cover all the houses wey dey there, and residents don face settler harassment and physical assaults.

"The moment the army or settlers come with their archaeologists, e dey put target for our backs," Basel, 45, wey from the nearby village of al-Mughayer, talk. "We sabi say the attacks go follow, and the soldiers go just stand aside until we give up and comot."

Settler militias dey secure both declared and undeclared sites for the area. For Ibsiq in the northern Jordan Valley, masked gunmen attack one Israeli activist — hospitalise am — and force him elderly Palestinian hosts to kneel, threaten to burn dem out inside 48 hours.

"I ask if dem be criminals," the activist remember. "One answer 'yes,' then e kick me again."

The push to seize Palestinian heritage dey supported by settler lobbies, foreign donors, army protection and state ministries.

Groups like Regavim — co-founded by Smotrich — and projects like Beshvilei Shomron dey run tours, digs and campaigns wey cast occupied West Bank sites as Israeli heritage. These groups push for Jewish-only claims to heritage and often dey operate under military protection.

For the 1980s, settler archaeologist Adam Zertal claim say Mount Ebal na "Joshua's Altar" near Nablus — and that claim spark more digs wey many experts dismiss as spurious.

Im student Ze’ev Erlich guide IDF tours and civilian digs for the occupied West Bank until im death in 2024 in Lebanon; Hezbollah kill am while im dey chase wetin e call a Jewish site beyond Israel borders.

For al-Karmil, town of about 17,000 people in Area A, one declared heritage zone cover an ancient late Roman pool, now fenced and gated, and Palestinian access block by settler roads and military closures.

Mahmoud Nawaja get Council licence to run the Pool as an amusement park: "Three Fridays in a row dem come, open the gate, station guards for one hour. Now there be four or five gates."

Local people dey pay small money for the pool and rides. But for Jewish holidays, organised groups of Zionists break in under army guard to perform Jewish ritual washings. "If anybody try stop dem, dem just go inside," Nawaja talk. "One time dem short-circuit the rides on purpose," e add. "Somebody clearly rig am — e no dey spoil by itself."

When dem ask why e no dey charge settlers equally for im amusement park, Nawaja say e try before. "Dem tell me, go ask Abu Mazen," e remember. Since then Smotrich don cut off PA funding.

Archaeology as annexation: Behind the scenes Israeli ministries don fight for control of occupied West Bank antiquities. Under Smotrich's 2022 coalition deal, the Israel Antiquities Authority move comot from the Culture Ministry go the new Heritage Ministry, wey Amichai Eliyahu of Religious Zionism lead.

A bid to fold the IDF Civil Administration's archaeology unit (KAMAT) into the Authority fail, so staff rebrand as Heritage Ministry officials and for 2024 dem show face for an occupied West Bank archaeology conference wey people condemn because dem exclude Palestinians. New Likud proposal go put KAMAT under a dedicated Heritage Ministry body.

Al-Karmil local council chairman Zuhair Abu Taha talk say im town don seal off on holidays in what e call a "settler assault" since 2023, with access "entirely reserved for settlers under heavy military protection." E point to new settler road cut straight up the archaeological hill of Tel Ma‘in in Area B from the nearby Avigail outpost.

"Without any prior warning, two or three weeks ago, the Israeli Minister of Internal Security Itamar Ben Gvir come here," Abu Taha say. "Days later, settlers begin open the road wey lead up to the archaeological summit — completely without notice."

Hilltop ruins dey among Palestinian homes and one bee farm. Tel Ma‘in no dey official lists, wey show say the roadworks fit be extrajudicial — tolerated if no be sanctioned. The army dey withhold full site list, and Emek Shaveh say archaeologists' and rights groups' information requests never get answer.

The mayor tell TRT World make dem no climb the hill, warn say dem go call soldiers and settlers. "When we confront dem on the first day, the settlers say the place don already declare archaeological zone and tell us to refer to the Israeli Ministry of Antiquities," the mayor add. "But when our residents go file complaints at the Kiryat Arba settlement police station, dem prevent dem from doing so."

Across the road in a-Tuwani, villagers finally win long-delayed approval for water pipes, but the Civil Administration freeze the project and declare an archaeological site over a supposed synagogue amid Roman-Islamic ruins. Council head Muhammed Rabai show TRT World scholarship wey dispute the claim. Though later dem exempt the village from new digs, the village centre still host armed settler pilgrimages wey dey shut am down again and again. Resident Juma'a Rabai tell TRT World say on the first inspection day one official say, "If a car has no driver, it's mine."

Digging through loopholes: The 1995 Oslo II accords propose joint archaeology committee wey never form; only a few occupied West Bank religious sites get special arrangements. So most sites remain under unilateral Israeli control.

International law — the 1907 Hague Regulations and the 1954 Hague Convention with its protocols — oblige Israel as occupier to protect cultural property and uphold local law. Excavations dey allowed only as "rescue digs" for sites wey dey in imminent danger. After Oslo collapse, right-wing groups campaign to "save" sites from alleged looting, and this give the army cover to guard digs wey dem do without Palestinian involvement.

"International law suppose protect these sites, but e also make am easy because you fit call anything a threat," one Emek Shaveh spokesperson say. "And once na threat, you fit do whatever you want — dig, station soldiers there."

Some people describe Israel's archaeology as epistemicide — na way to erase Palestinian history. For 2013 geneticist Eran Elhaik tell Globes say Israel rest on "one of the world's oldest, most crowded cemeteries," and DNA fit test settler claims of heritage. Such studies, e say, dey stifle because remains for there fit match Palestinians more than Israelis.

"Today, the idea na simple," Emek Shaveh say. "If a Palestinian live near an archaeological site, he be the threat."

Ethnic cleansing often dey hide for biblical, messianic veneer. For 2010, Israel's National Heritage Sites Project invest 400 million shekels for 150 sites, 37 of them archaeological, including six in the occupied West Bank. The Antiquities Authority website list only Jewish archaeological projects.

Tel Shiloh, north of Ramallah, become the Heritage Project's flagship site. The occupied West Bank first "biblical park" dey run by the settler Shiloh Association and promoted by the Civil Administration and Heritage Ministry as a "national attraction" with ruins dem link to the biblical Tabernacle, multimedia displays and reconstructed rituals.

Palestinians exclude from planning or revenue and dem restrict Palestinian movement during Jewish festivals, while similar parks dey rise at Sebastia — a Palestinian UNESCO site — and elsewhere. "At Tel Shiloh you get churches and mosques built on top of each other; Canaanite remains documented by Israel Finkelstein. Now, red heifers dey parade there as symbols of messianic return," Emek Shaveh spokesperson say.

Settler groups claim biblical names prove Jewish destiny and genealogical continuity.

Emek Shaveh note say by the 2nd–3rd centuries Jews cluster for villages while Romans and later Christians rule Palestinian cities. Biblical names dem re-impose on rural sites, often ignore prior usage, and later Muslim communities preserve them in Arabic.

"The reason why so many biblical names survive in Arabic today na because after the late Roman era re-ascription and later Islamic appropriation, Muslims keep using them," dem say.

With all Israeli universities dey excavate the West Bank under military protection, Emek Shaveh see court orders against unlawful digs as mostly cosmetic and dem dey happen less and less.

"Na the essence of colonialism," the spokesperson say. "These sites get many layers. Why the current layer suppose be unimportant? Maybe in one thousand years, people go want study the Palestinian layer."

This article dem produce in collaboration with Egab.