Heritage Minister Amichai Eliahu toured the Solomon's Pools archaeological site near Bethlehem and signed an emergency NIS 10 million budget for its restoration, hours before a planned Palestinian ceremony to lay a cornerstone for a mosque on the site, according to a report. The move was described as an assertion of sovereignty and strengthening Jewish presence at the site.
The move comes amid a broader political contest over the Solomon's Pools site, a historic water reservoir complex near Bethlehem. Minister Eliahu's visit and budget allocation directly preempted a planned Palestinian ceremony to lay a cornerstone for a mosque in the area. The site has been a focus of sovereignty disputes; earlier this year, Minister Eliahu and MK Tzvi Sochot performed a ritual immersion in Herod's Pool near Jericho, another site recently reclaimed from Palestinian control, as The Zioneer reported on June 19. The current action underscores the government's policy of asserting Jewish presence in contested archaeological sites in Judea and Samaria. The Palestinian Authority has not yet responded to the move.
2 developments
- DevelopingMinister Eliahu and MK Sochot perform ritual immersion in Herod's pool, recently reclaimed from Palestinian control
- DevelopingPalestinian Authority plans to build mosque at ancient Jewish site of Solomon's Pools
- StrongOp-ed: Solomon's Pools neglected under Palestinian Authority for three decades, researcher says
- StrongHeritage Minister Eliyahu tears up in Knesset committee over October 7 memorial bill
Source and signal
- Internal intake