The Israeli Knesset's approval in its first reading of the draft law to establish what is called the 'Judea and Samaria Antiquities Authority' comes as a new escalatory step within the policies of creeping colonial annexation in the occupied West Bank. This null legislation aims to employ archaeology and heritage as a political tool to impose absolute Israeli sovereignty, which constitutes a blatant violation of international law and international legitimacy resolutions that prohibit altering the features of occupied territories.
The new law grants this authority broad powers, including seizure, excavation, and imposing full control not only in areas classified as (C) but also extending to include areas (B), which represents a direct assault on Palestinian sovereign rights. This move seeks to establish an integrated colonial reality aimed at displacing Palestinians and transforming their cities and villages into isolated enclaves besieged by alleged archaeological sites and settlements.
Data indicates that the Israeli Antiquities Authority plays a pivotal role in falsifying Palestinian culture and heritage by imbuing historical sites with an artificial Jewish character and disseminating this misleading narrative in international forums and European capitals. This falsification is carried out under the direct guidance of Zionist pressure groups to ensure the removal of Palestine's name from approved historical maps and its replacement with an occupation narrative that serves the settlement project.
These practices are not limited to the theft of land but extend to a war on memory and national identity, where excavations are exploited to justify settlement expansion and erase Arab, Islamic, and Christian landmarks. Observers warn that the continuation of this approach will lead to the liquidation of the Palestinian cause from its historical and legal dimensions, necessitating a firm national and international response to confront this Israeli aggression.
In light of this acceleration in ethnic cleansing and annexation policies, it has become imperative for the international community and the International Criminal Court to act to stop these crimes and hold the occupation authorities accountable for their continuous violations. Condemnation statements are no longer sufficient in the face of a reality imposed by force on the ground, which requires effective measures to protect Palestinian heritage as a universal human legacy under systematic targeting.
Granting this authority powers of excavation and control over areas (B) and (C) constitutes a direct assault on the sovereign rights of the Palestinian people and a plan to falsify history.
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'West Bank Antiquities Authority' Law: A New Israeli Arm to Legitimise Annexation and Steal Palestinian History