Palestinians Express Concern Over Israeli Control Plans for Solomon’s Pools
The concerns intensified following a recent visit to the site by Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who toured the area alongside Israeli officials and settlers. According to reports, Smotrich argued that the site's administration by the Palestinian Authority was "unacceptable" and vowed to alter the current arrangement.
Palestinian officials and local activists say the visit is part of a wider campaign aimed at expanding Israeli influence over archaeological and heritage sites throughout the West Bank.
They contend that such efforts are also linked to nearby settlement expansion projects.
According to reports, the latest developments follow the Israeli government's decision earlier this year to establish the so-called "Judea and Samaria Heritage Authority" under the Heritage Ministry. The body was granted extensive authority over archaeological locations across the occupied territory.
Commenting on the site's significance, Fadi Sanad, director of the Artas Folklore Center, said: “Solomon's Pools is an archaeological area dating back more than 2,000 years and has been shaped by successive civilizations, from the Canaanite era through the Roman, Mamluk and Ottoman periods.”
Palestinian observers argue that the site's historical and cultural importance makes any changes to its administration particularly sensitive, amid broader disputes over heritage, land and sovereignty in the occupied West Bank.
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