Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich announced NIS 113 million (about $37m) to bring more than 70 historical sites in the occupied West Bank under state control, expanding a May plan for NIS 250 million ($83m). The Settlements Ministry is set to receive additional direct funding and commitment authorisations, while the Knesset's Finance Committee approved nearly NIS 300 million (~$99m) for settlement-related spending. Palestinian media say the move targets sites including Solomon's Pools near Bethlehem, and critics point to ongoing settlement approvals and reports of rising settler violence in the West Bank.
Israel Allocates NIS 113 Million ($37M) To Bring 70+ West Bank Heritage Sites Under State Control
Israeli settlers pose at an ancient archaeological site near the illegal settlement of Petza'el, in the occupied West Bank [Amir Levy/Getty]
Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich announced a NIS 113 million (about $37 million) allocation to place more than 70 historical and archaeological sites in the occupied West Bank under state control, according to a government statement.
The funding was approved on Tuesday by a government steering committee and builds on a larger NIS 250 million (roughly $83 million) plan authorised in May to claim archaeological sites across the West Bank, the Jordan Valley and other areas. Separately, the Knesset's Finance Committee approved nearly NIS 300 million (about $99 million) in direct funding and commitments to the Settlements Ministry on the same day.
The committee said the Settlements Ministry will receive NIS 157 million (around $52 million) in direct funding, plus an additional NIS 142 million (about $47 million) in commitment authorisations. Officials said the money will support projects such as new visitor centres and research facilities at sites designated as Jewish heritage locations.
"This is a Zionist act of the highest order. A people without a past has no future," Smotrich said, describing plans for visitor centres and research facilities.
Smotrich did not publicly name all targeted sites in the announcement. Palestinian media and other reports say the plans include an effort to bring Solomon's Pools near Bethlehem under Israeli control — a location Smotrich has previously sought to administer. The minister also said about 104 settlements and 160 outposts have been approved in the occupied West Bank since 2022.
Israel designates the landmarks as Jewish heritage locations as part of efforts to extend state control over land and property in Palestinian areas. Israeli settlements in the West Bank are widely regarded as illegal under international law; that position is reflected in numerous UN resolutions and the views of many governments and legal experts.
Critics say the increased funding comes amid a surge in settler violence and heightened tensions across the West Bank. Palestinian media report more than 11,000 settler and military attacks across the region so far this year; those figures are reported by local sources and have not been independently verified in this article.
This development ties into broader debates over archaeology, heritage claims and sovereignty in the West Bank, where thousands of archaeological and heritage sites — some dating back hundreds or thousands of years — are located.
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