The occupied West Bank is a tapestry of intertwined histories and modern-day tensions. Among its rolling hills and olive groves lie remnants of ancient civilizations, each stone whispering tales of the past. One such site, Sebastia, has become a focal point in the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict, embodying the struggle over territory, heritage, and historical narrative.
Since 2026, the Israeli government has been working to seize approximately 500 acres of privately owned Palestinian land surrounding Sebastia. The aim is to transform the area into a tourist attraction, with a budget of $10 million allocated for its development. Meanwhile, the Palestinian Authority is urgently seeking UNESCO World Heritage status for Sebastia, hoping to secure its protection and recognition.
The Historical Significance of Sebastia
Sebastia’s history stretches back over 3,000 years. Archaeologists identify it as ancient Samaria, the capital of the biblical Kingdom of Israel. Herod the Great later rebuilt and renamed it, adding monumental structures that have endured through various eras, including Roman, Byzantine, Arab, and Crusader periods. The site is also traditionally believed to be the burial place of John the Baptist.
Today, Sebastia’s layered history is entangled in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The archaeological mound lies in Area C of the West Bank, under full Israeli control, while the adjacent town and its tourism infrastructure are in Area B, under mixed Palestinian-Israeli jurisdiction. This division has become a growing concern for the town’s residents, whose livelihoods depend on tourism and agriculture.
The Economic and Cultural Impact
Local residents express deep concern over the potential loss of access to the archaeological site. Zaid Azhari, a local tourism developer and leader of the “Save Sebastia” campaign, describes the site as the heart and memory of their community. “With this expropriation order, it means we are losing our heart – losing access to our land and to the site,” Azhari told CNN. “It’s like your children – you cannot leave one of them.”
The confiscation order threatens to cripple Sebastia’s economy, which relies heavily on tourism and olive harvesting. Azhari warns that if access to the site is severed, the entire economic circle of Sebastia will be destroyed. The friction with soldiers and settlers has already made daily life harder for years, and the latest developments could exacerbate these challenges.
The Broader Context of Heritage and Sovereignty
Sebastia is just one piece of a larger initiative by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s right-wing government. Since 2026, over 250 million shekels (about $82 million) have been invested in West Bank archaeological sites through the “Road, Land, Heritage” program. This program, overseen by Heritage Minister Amichai Eliyahu of the far-right Otzma Yehudit party, focuses on sites with Jewish historical significance, often excluding Islamic and Christian heritage sites in the same areas.
Eliyahu frames the effort as a preservation and rescue of neglected heritage sites, which he claims have suffered from decades of Palestinian looting and damage. “I am not willing to have the story of the Jewish people destroyed, dismantled, or erased,” Eliyahu said, describing his work as restoring the “true story” of Sebastia and other West Bank sites. He rejects the premise that the land in question is Palestinian, asserting that “The area is Israeli territory. It belongs to the Jewish people.”
The Perspective of Israeli Watchdog Groups
Israeli watchdog groups, however, offer a different perspective. Alon Arad, director of the Israeli organization Emek Shaveh, argues that the government’s interest is less about preservation and more about territorial control. “The government’s only interest is Jewish heritage, erasing thousands of years of human existence in this area,” Arad said. He contends that archaeology is being used as a tool to create a correlation between heritage and sovereignty.
Arad dismisses Eliyahu’s claims of systematic Palestinian neglect of antiquities as “a highly cynical argument” and says there has been no data to support it. The Palestinian Authority is now lobbying to move Sebastia from UNESCO’s tentative list to the full World Heritage list, hoping that inscription might restrain further Israeli actions. Eliyahu, however, remains unfazed, stating that “UNESCO can say whatever it wants. If it tries to go against the truth and invent narratives it will not succeed.”
The West Bank is home to thousands of archaeological sites, reflecting its long history as a crossroads of civilizations. Sebastia serves as a test case for a battle not just over the past but about the present and the future of the territory and the people who live near its historic stones.
