On the expansion of the Civil Administration's archaeology unit

ARCHAEOLOGY AND POLITICS: Israel boosts archaeological enforcement and excavations in the West Bank. Archaeological activity in the West Bank has greatly expanded after approving 120 million shekel plan, boosting budgets, enforcement powers and excavations; officials say move aims to protect heritage sites, amid political and academic controversy (Elisha Ben Kimon, Ynet News).

In 2010, the Israeli government adopted a decision to strengthen the enforcement and protection of antiquities in the West Bank, but it was an initial move with limited budgets and minimal attention from the military and government ministries. In July 2023, nearly a year after the current government was formed, a new government decision approved a multi-year plan to combat the destruction of antiquities and heritage sites in the West Bank. The decision, initiated by Heritage Minister Rabbi Amichai Eliyahu, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and Tourism Minister Haim Katz, allocated 120 million shekels over three years. The new budget fundamentally changed the work of the archaeology unit.

For more on the Sartaba-Alexandrium excavation, see here and links; on the Hyrcania excavation, see here and links (UPDATE: also the next two posts here and here); and on the new Sebastia excavation, here and links, here, here, and here; and on a recent academic boycott, here.

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