The Palestinians see a plan to push them from the ground where Israel builds the national park Israel’s conflict and the two

Sebastia, occupied West Bank – Israel calls it an archaeological project to highlight the Jewish heritage and create a new Israeli national park. The Palestinians see this as another evidence of Israel’s plans to include an ancient city and eraser of Palestinian history in a 5,000 -year -old common story about the peoples who lived in this land.

The ministers of the right -wing Israeli government and the elected in Sebastia On May 12 as part of a delegation to celebrate the shift on the horizon in the archaeological city park, one of the largest and most important 6000 locations in the West Bank.

The extremist Israeli minister in heritage, Amitai Eliaho, who himself resides in the settlement of the West Bank, praised at the beginning of the Israeli exploration at the site and the upcoming creation “National Park”, which will focus on Jewish history in the region.

The Palestinians say this will come with an attempt to paint their relations with the land. The Palestinian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities called on the fossils “preparing to include Sebastia and isolate it from its surroundings.”

Israeli politicians refer to Sebastia as Samaria, or Shomron in the Hebrew language, and they say it was the capital of the Kingdom of Israel in nearly three thousand years.

However, the archaeological site includes the ruins of Byzantine Bazatini, a Roman and runway forum, and the Church of St. John in the era of the Crusader, which was rebuilt to a mosque-and is believed to be the site of the tomb of John the Baptist known in the Qur’an as the Prophet Yahya.

Sebastia archaeological park, which was once a hot point for tourism and the Hajj site for Christians is still inserted into the UNESCO World Heritage List, according to an application that is completed by Palestinian officials.

“The River of Blood”

The mayor of Sebastia, Muhammad Azm and the city’s residents, has always warned of the intention of Israel, “Sibis”, and turning it into an Israeli tourism site only.

The alarm intensifies after the municipality received an order to seize the lands to build an installation for military purposes “at the top of the old hill summit in the region last July.

Speaking to the island in his office overlooking the abandoned old town, Aziz said that “the blood river will flow to the village” if the construction of the barracks begins.

“The army aims to make life unlikely to the population here, so they eventually surrender to reality and leaving – just like those who were displaced in Jenin and Tolkram,” said Azm, referring to more than 40,000 Palestinians. From the displaced by Israeli military operations In the occupied West Bank this year.

“Now, the soldiers enter the village daily – with a clear curse of killing,” added Azm. “We will resist building – peacefully, of course. The landowners will not give up their lands.”

The mayor called for condemning the intense military violence in the village and targeting children, especially the 14 -year -old killers of the army, Ahmed Jazar, in January.

For its part, the Israeli state argues that the village of Sebastia will not be affected by archaeological work, because it is located outside the boundaries of the proposed national park.

However, the Cyclastia archaeological museum coordinated and residing in life, and, and the pain, and other than gas, says that the plans are an escalation in Israel’s plans to expel residents and business owners in the end and prevent Palestinians from reaching the city, its lending, and the sprawling hills and olive fields around it.

Ghazal told Al -Jazeera that “the population is afraid of the future”, especially those close to the rubble.

“The situation is very dangerous,” she said. “Soon, they will prevent us from going to the archaeological site.

“In my opinion, we just have months before we are asked to leave our homes,” added Ghazal. “We see the future in Gaza And in the camps (in the West Bank). They are trying to see. “

“The Tored Heritage”

Azzil said that the Israeli ministers and settler politicians are using the discourse on protecting the Jewish biblical heritage to hide their long desire to include Sebastia.

Eliaho joined Sebastia by IDS Silman and Yossi Dagan, Chairman of the Shomron Regional Council, which controls 35 illegal West Bank settlements.

Silman praised the scheme and told the Israeli media, “historical justice is presented”, accusing the Palestinians of trying to “erase” the Jewish heritage.

The Israeli government has always been clear that Sebastia, which most historians agreed upon, was the capital of the Kingdom of Israel for less than 200 years, will be transferred and transferred to the Israeli tourism axis in the West Bank.

In May 2023, the Israeli government approved the Shekel system (more than $ 8 million) to restore the park and establish a tourism center, new access methods, and the expanded military presence. The four million ($ 1.2 million) Shekel (1.2 million dollars) was announced for an abandoned railway station two miles from Sebastia, in recent years of the Ottoman Empire.

“Archaeological excavations were designed to expose the traces of the site and make the ancient city within reach of all its periods: since the beginning of the settlement in the eighth century BC during the ancient Kingdom of Israel, through the Hellenistic city, it was the wonderful Roman city built by King Herod (called Sibstos after Emperor Augustos). Israeli Heritage Minister Eliaho.

Erasing the Palestinian identity

Gas said that the ruins of Sebastia showed a “distinct local culture” in a geographical area “which was always known as Palestine.” She said that the remains emphasize the religious and cultural importance of the city to the oppression of the empires, and the coexistence of its multi -religious residents for several centuries.

In the Palestinian introduction to UNESCO, it was noted that the current city of Sebastia still maintains “the old name (and) is located in the eastern part of the Roman city, indicating the presence of a strong element of cultural continuity.”

But for those who focus on the planned Israeli National Park, the Jewish history is the only one to concern.

In response to an inquiry from the island, the Eliaho office said that Sebastia was “first and foremost a Jewish heritage site, where archaeological remains were found from the period of the Kingdom of Israel.”

“It is important to emphasize that even if we have to dig the site at the depth of the essence of the earth, and a grain of historical evidence is not found on the ancient Palestinian settlement on the site.”

Yossi Dagan, who lives in Shafi Shafi Schumron, has long been called for the acquisition of Sebastia and confirms her emergence in the history of the Bible. “When you dig here, the Bible touch your hands,” he told the Israeli media on the archaeological site.

But Ghazal said that the Israeli government’s treatment of biblical stories in the Old Testament as a historical reality was designed to the decline in the allegations of the Palestinians who lived on the ground for thousands of years, and ignores the old Palestinian people’s relations with their lands.

Gas said: “You cannot build your demand for the land on religion – civilizations revolve around the people who develop their identity, actions and their effects – even their language,” Gas said.

Ghazal added: “Israel wants to kill stories from our past and replace them with poison; it is a crime against our history.” “When they destroy our monuments, they remove families who survive history, who will speak after that – and carry our story for the next generation?”

Ghost

“The rubble will not be” taken without a fight, “said Ahmed Kayed, a 59 -year -old Sibastia village, and the demonstrations are incited.

He said that Israel “plans a big thing” in Sebastia and pointed to the new iron blockade that is constructed on the roads that surround the city.

He said it was very unsafe for Sebastia’s residents to visit the archaeological park due to settler attacks and nearby military invasions daily. But once military barracks are created, it will be outside the border permanently.

In reference to at least 40 families who left the city since October 7, 2023, Kayed said: “They are working step by step to get their hands on Sebastia and keep us suffering all the time until people leave,” referring to at least 40 families who left the city since October 7, 2023.

He added: “We are in Nakba II and Sebastia under the siege.” “But Sebastia is strong, and we know how to face them because we did it before.”

He pointed out that the residents reached Israel’s plans to take Sebastia in the late 1970s, and did so again to stop settlers who pump sewage on agricultural lands in 2013. The Jewish heritage “Sebastia.

But Kayed admits that the times have changed, and violence from the army today is no different from anything that it has seen in decades of activity.

He added: “When we decide what to do, we will be smart, and we will think in new ways, and everyone will follow us in Sebastia.”

He was very concerned that if the excavations occur, the Israelis would lead to the desecration of archaeological results that contradict their demands, as there is a lot to be detected if the excavations led by the Palestinians are not banned.

The municipality still hopes to provide UNESCO to protect the village and add monuments to the World Heritage List. The mayor also hopes that the archaeological park will join 56 other locations in the UNESCO record for important sites that are considered “in danger”.

Companies close to the archaeological site say they have lost more than three quarters of custom since October 7.

Samer Shayer, the owner of a café directly next to the park and the Roman columns, said that the military focus will be destroyed by companies.

He said: “There will be daily confrontations, a continuous military presence, and there is no sense of safety.” “No one will want to come and sit here during the army’s concentration near – the owners of stores or visitors will not be able to stay.”

Once the Holy Land is emerged by the prophets and the oppression of the oppression, Sebastia was reduced to the city of Ashrah – haunted by the glory of its history, which also made it a target of annexation by the super Israeli government.

Kayed seemed clearly moved when he described his youth playing the hills of the archaeological garden, and spent an attempt to save his home.

It was clear that it was affected that the city did not act more quickly to unify the creeping threat of military barracks or in the end. But it seems that all concerned, including the mayor of the city, are not sure of what will happen next – or when.

“This land means everything for me,” added Kayed. “I spent all my childhood, all my life, I go to the garden.

“They will confiscate my ground (to build barracks). I planted olive trees there with my mother, it is very painful to lose them. We will fight to the end,” Kayed said.