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West Bank hilltop: Ancient Sebastia becomes battleground for past and future control
🇪🇬 Egypt /Culture & Society

West Bank hilltop: Ancient Sebastia becomes battleground for past and future control

From Egypt Independent · () English

Translated from English, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Sources not specified Context piece
  • Israeli and Palestinian authorities are in a dispute over the archaeological site of Sebastia, near Nablus.
  • Israel plans to develop the site into a tourist attraction, allocating $10 million, while Palestinians are seeking UNESCO World Heritage status.
  • The conflict raises concerns about access to land, heritage, and the local economy, which relies on tourism and agriculture.

From a hilltop overlooking the occupied West Bank, the ancient site of Sebastia, rich with thousands of years of history, has become a focal point in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Both Israeli and Palestinian authorities claim ownership of the land and its heritage, leading to a tense dispute over control and narrative.

Over the past year, Israel has moved to seize approximately 500 acres of privately owned Palestinian land surrounding Sebastia. The Israeli government has earmarked $10 million for developing the archaeological site into a tourist destination. In response, the Palestinian Authority is urgently pursuing UNESCO World Heritage recognition for Sebastia, a bid currently under debate.

For us, this is our heart and our memory at the same time. With this expropriation order, it means we are losing our heart – losing access to our land and to the site. I cannot imagine Sebastia without the archaeological site. It’s like your children – you cannot leave one of them.

— Zaid AzhariA local tourism developer and leader of the "Save Sebastia" campaign, explaining the significance of the archaeological site to the local community and the impact of the land seizure.

Sebastia, identified by archaeologists as ancient Samaria, the former capital of the biblical Kingdom of Israel, boasts ruins dating back at least 3,000 years. Rebuilt by Herod the Great and renamed Sebastia, the site contains structures that have endured through numerous historical periods. Local tradition also identifies it as the burial place of John the Baptist.

The site's location in Area C of the West Bank, under full Israeli civil and security control, complicates matters. The adjacent town and its tourism infrastructure are in Area B, under mixed Palestinian-Israeli jurisdiction. Residents fear the land seizure will restrict their access to the ruins, impacting their economy, which depends heavily on tourism and agriculture. "For us, this is our heart and our memory at the same time," said Zaid Azhari, a local tourism developer and leader of the "Save Sebastia" campaign. "With this expropriation order, it means we are losing our heart – losing access to our land and to the site."

If we cannot access them, the whole economic circle of Sebastia will be destroyed.

— Zaid AzhariA local tourism developer and leader of the "Save Sebastia" campaign, warning about the potential economic consequences of the land confiscation.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Egypt Independent in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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