In Ramallah, at a time when the Palestinian Authority is warning of Israeli occupation forces looting artifacts in Gaza during the ongoing aggression since October 7, the situation in the West Bank is not much different. The artifacts in the West Bank have become an easy target for the occupation and sometimes even for Palestinian hands.
During its session last week, the Palestinian government decided to form a committee headed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates, including the Ministries of Tourism, Justice, and Culture, “to follow up on the theft of the occupation authorities of museum collections and artifacts during the continuous aggression on the Gaza Strip and to pursue the file globally by contacting UNESCO.”
On Thursday, the Israeli army destroyed the building of Al-Isra University in Gaza, including the National Museum licensed by the Ministry of Antiquities, which was established by the university as the first national museum and housed more than 3,000 rare artifacts.
The university and the Palestinian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities accused the Israeli army of looting the artifacts before destroying the museum building to cover up their crime.
This is in Gaza, but what is happening in the West Bank is equally important, as historical sites and archaeological sites are being permanently destroyed. What is going on?
Research and Sale
With the start of the aggression in Gaza, the economy in the West Bank has largely stalled, and tens of thousands of Palestinians, including many who were working inside Israel, have joined the long lines of unemployment. Workers and others who have been cut off have turned to archaeological sites to search for treasures of the earth to sell and provide some money to support their families.
Al Jazeera closely monitored the search operations in the West Bank and witnessed the presence of dozens of workers, using simple tools and metal detectors.
Pottery from an unspecified era found by Palestinians during archaeological excavations in the West Bank (Al Jazeera)
The sixty-year-old man “M. H.” waited for weeks in the hope that the war would end and he could return to his work in agriculture inside the Green Line, to which he resorted after retiring from his government job as a supplemental source of income.
Abu Ayman says that the war has dragged on, and he and his six sons are in severe financial hardship, so they decided to search for artifacts in areas where excavations were previously conducted, and indeed found artifacts from various eras.
Metal coins from an unspecified era found by Palestinian citizens during the search for artifacts (Al Jazeera)
Abu Ayman recalls the atmosphere of the Gulf War in the early 1990s, when the occupation imposed a closure on the West Bank for several months, and people resorted to searching for artifacts and selling them to make money. He points out that most of the search is now focused on refilling the extracted soil, as most of the artifacts have already been extracted and sold in the past.
In addition to his sons, he says they have other partners, working in two separate teams, one during the day and the other at night, and what is found is shared among the participants. Al Jazeera was able to document a variety of artifacts owned by some citizens and merchants dating back to different eras, with varying estimates of their value.
Caves being excavated for artifacts in the West Bank (Al Jazeera)
Those artifacts and their values vary between metal coins, pottery, and copperware, known to researchers and traders to belong to a certain era, based on signs recognized through experience.
Israeli Traders
According to an antiquities trader, all the artifacts found are sold to Arab traders or Israelis inside the Green Line, and ultimately end up in Israeli museums.
Regarding the evaluation of the price of artifacts, he says that the individual sends photos of the pieces found to the trader, who in turn passes them on to the Israeli trader, who then offers them to several museums, then determines the purchase price.
He added that “intermediary traders sell the artifacts at double the amount they purchased them for.”
Metal coins from different eras found by Palestinian citizens during the search for artifacts (Al Jazeera)
He indicates that the prices of artifacts can reach hundreds of thousands of dollars depending on their type, whether they are gold or not, and the era to which they belong, with the lowest in price being those belonging to the Islamic eras unless they are gold.
He explains that the artifacts found are usually from the Greek, Roman, and Islamic eras, but the “Israeli model” and any pottery with Hebrew inscriptions are the most valuable.
The trader claims that all sectors of the Palestinian population in the West Bank have become interested in searching for artifacts, including government employees, stating that only 2% of those searching actually find valuable artifacts.
Entrance to a cave being excavated for artifacts in the West Bank (Al Jazeera)
Most of the search operations take place in Area “C,” which is under Israeli control and constitutes around 60% of the West Bank. The Palestinian police cannot access these areas.
It is known that governmental authorities have tasked municipalities with monitoring and preventing the search, but the municipalities lack control and executive power.
Catastrophic Risks
Regarding the risks, a former official of the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, Dr. Hamdan Tala, stated that the unorganized search for artifacts is one of the “disastrous phenomena” resulting from the Israeli closure and the deprivation of Palestinians of freedom of movement, which occurred in the past, especially in the early 1990s. He added that some people are searching for artifacts in archaeological sites to sell and make a living, but this results in “the destruction of archaeological contexts in the ruins and archaeological hills without return.”
In addition to permanently destroying the sites, Tala says that “the fate of the artifacts found will be in the hands of a chain of middlemen and end in the Israeli market, resulting in a significant scientific loss and the squandering of Palestinian archaeological resources.”
In the absence of the presence and influence of the Palestinian Authority in Area “C” where most of the archaeological sites are located, the Palestinian expert states that Israel has no interest in protecting these sites and turns a blind eye to those searching for artifacts.
legal implications
According to sources from the Palestinian Ministry of Antiquities, there are more than 7,000 registered archaeological sites in the West Bank, and tens of thousands of landmarks and historical sites, most of which are located in Area “C.”
The Palestinian law imposes “a penalty of no less than 7 years, and no more than 10 years, and a fine of no less than 20,000 Jordanian dinars (about $28,000), and no more than 50,000 Jordanian dinars (about $70,000), or the equivalent in the currency in circulation, on anyone who sells, buys, or trades in any extracted materials from fixed heritage, or conducts excavations or digging in fixed heritage sites in search of gold treasures or any other treasures, even if they were in their private ownership.”
The illegal trade of artifacts is an alarming issue, causing significant cultural and historical losses, with severe legal consequences for those involved.
The illegal trafficking of artifacts not only erodes historical and cultural heritage but also poses significant risks to the preservation of valuable historical and archaeological resources. It is crucial for authorities to take stringent measures to protect and preserve these invaluable assets for the benefit of present and future generations.
These appalling violations of historical and cultural resources cannot be overlooked, and it is paramount to have strict enforcement of laws and regulations to deter and prosecute individuals engaged in such illicit activities.
The preservation of historical and cultural heritage is a collective responsibility, and safeguarding these assets should be a top priority for all relevant authorities and stakeholders. It is imperative to prioritize the conservation of archaeological treasures and enact effective measures to combat illegal trade and exploitation of historical artifacts.
