‘Zionist act of highest order’: Smotrich allocates NIS 113m. to develop West Bank heritage sites

Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has approved the allocation of NIS 113 million (approximately $30 million) to develop more than 70 heritage sites across the West Bank. The initiative, approved by a steering committee, aims to strengthen tourism in the region through preservation, public accessibility, rescue excavations, and infrastructure development.

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This is a Zionist act of the highest order. A people without a past has no future.

Smotrich described the funding as a "Zionist act of the highest order," emphasizing that "a people without a past has no future." He stated the initiative will "strengthen heritage sites, preserve the history of the Jewish people, and deepen our connection to the Land of Israel." The project builds on previous work by the Defense Ministry's Settlement Administration and the Civil Administration's Archaeology Unit, which is responsible for managing and developing antiquities in the West Bank.

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we are advancing a historic and significant initiative to strengthen heritage sites, preserve the history of the Jewish people, and deepen our connection to the Land of Israel.

Historically, the West Bank is home to over 2,600 archaeological and heritage sites, including significant locations like the Cave of the Patriarchs in Hebron and the Qumran Caves. While these sites are considered a "national asset of the highest order," Smotrich noted they have suffered from neglect and insufficient investment. The current plan seeks to rectify this by preserving, developing, and making them accessible to Israeli citizens and international visitors.

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national asset of the highest order

This move follows a broader NIS 250 million plan approved in May by the Israeli government to preserve heritage and antiquities sites across the West Bank, Jordan Valley, and the Judean Desert. Previous Israeli efforts to advance heritage site development in the West Bank have drawn international condemnation. The plan includes constructing new heritage centers for research, education, and visitor services.

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Some of the sites did not receive sufficient investment, and we are now working to change that, to preserve, develop, and make them accessible to all Israeli citizens and visitors from around the world.