How archaeology turns political in the West Bank - CBS News

## Summary
Eyal Freiman, deputy staff officer for archeology of Israel's Civil Administration of Judea and Samaria, knows well the complexity of performing excavations here. "I don't act by political views," he said. "If we weren't excavating this site, it would probably be half-buried." An archaeological dig at Tala'at Ad-Dam in the West Bank. But at the same time, there is a very important chapter of the site that is missing, and that is the story of the Palestinian village that lived here." Sebastia We met Israeli archeologist Adi Shragai in the West Bank town of Sebastia, what was once the capital city of the Kingdom of Israel. "So many parts of history were completely erased just because someone decided to come and build on top of it," she said. She's part of an Israeli archaeology group called Preserving the Eternal, which works in the West Bank. "For 100 years, there hasn't been proper excavations in this site, [or] academic research," she said. When he asked Heritage Minister Eliyahu about the Israeli group Emek Shaveh's statement that Israeli control of archeological sites in the West Bank is in essence a land claim, he responded, "Does Emek Shaveh agree that these historical sites belong to the history of the Jewish people?

## Article Content
In the Judean desert, a complex past is being unearthed into a complicated present. This site, at Tala'at Ad-Dam, sits along an ancient pilgrimage route to Jerusalem, one Jesus' parents were said to have walked.
Back then, this land was called Judea, after the people who would become known as the Jews. Over the centuries, it would be conquered by empires of varying beliefs. It's one of at least 5,000 archaeological sites here, a place most commonly known as the West Bank. Some call it by its ancient or Biblical name — Judea and Samaria. The U.N. says it's occupied Palestinian territory.
Eyal Freiman, deputy staff officer for archeology of Israel's Civil Administration of Judea and Samaria, knows well the complexity of performing excavations here. "I don't act by political views," he said. "If we weren't excavating this site, it would probably be half-buried."
An archaeological dig at Tala'at Ad-Dam in the West Bank.
CBS News
Asked if his role was inherently political, being an Israeli on Palestinian land, Freiman replied, "I'm just an employee of a civil administration. My job is to protect, preserve, and make approachable all the archaeological sites."
But for whom? That's the question Talya Ezrahi raises. "Archaeology has become a way of proving that we were here," she said. "So, whenever we look in the ground, we're always hoping to find something that has some indication of Jewish life in the land of Israel" – to make the claim
we were here first
.
Ezrahi is with the left-wing Israeli archeology group Emek Shaveh. She claims archaeology has been weaponized to make certain lands off-bounds to Palestinians: "It's been weaponized in the service of enhancing and entrenching settlements and claiming more and more lands that were once Palestinian lands," she said.
Take Nebi Samuel, where it's believed the prophet Samuel was buried a thousand years before Christ. A Palestinian village was dismantled to make way for what's become a tourist site.
Eid Barakat was forced to move from here when his house was demolished. He's been in temporary housing since 1971, because he claims he cannot get a building permit. Israel is now allocating nearly $100 million in part to develop archeological and tourism sites in the West Bank.
Asked whether it was good that the land where Barakat once lived has been excavated, Ezrahi replied, "First of all, it is a beautiful site. But at the same time, there is a very important chapter of the site that is missing, and that is the story of the Palestinian village that lived here."
Sebastia
We met Israeli archeologist Adi Shragai in the West Bank town of Sebastia, what was once the capital city of the Kingdom of Israel. "So many parts of history were completely erased just because someone decided to come and build on top of it," she said.
Shragai says humanity benefits when these ancient sites are protected. She's part of an Israeli archaeology group called Preserving the Eternal, which works in the West Bank. "For 100 years, there hasn't been proper excavations in this site, [or] academic research," she said.
But can performing excavation be completely divorced from today's political realities? "The political reality is that sites are being destroyed," Shragai said.
The group identifies archeological sites they deem need preservation, including this theater, which is more than two thousand years old.
Archeologist Adi Shragai and correspondent Seth Doane at an ancient theater in the West Bank town of Sebastia.
CBS News
But to get here, the Israelis had to drive off-road around the Palestinian town, because tensions are so high.
Asked if such excavations by Israelis amount to a land grab on the West Bank, Shragai replied, "My main mission is to have these sites safe, protected and preserved. If it were to be done by the Palestinian Authority, fine. But unfortunately, they don't do that."
Zaid Azhari says his family has lived in Sebastia for at least 20 generations. He makes a living giving tours of these sites, including the theater. As a Palestinian, he says he's not allowed near them when the Israelis are working the site.
"The Israelis are not allowing us to work inside this site," he said. "If you start working here, you will see the drones above you. The soldiers will come. The settlers will come."
Palestinian tour guide Zaid Azhari.
CBS News
In November, Israel issued a land expropriation order to take control of more than 300 acres of Sebastia. Azhari says this would sever the town from their heritage, farmland, and a major part of their economy. "It's just about controlling land, stealing land," he said.
To Israelis who say this is simply about archaeology and is not political, Azhari said, "This is totally political. We protect our culture and our ruins since thousands of years."
Rafi Greenberg is a professor of archeology at Tel Aviv University, and is co-founder of the group Emek Shaveh. "I thought that archeology was going to be only about facts," he said. "The finds themselv

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## Expert Analysis

### Merits
- But at the same time, there is a very important chapter of the site that is missing, and that is the story of the Palestinian village that lived here." Sebastia We met Israeli archeologist Adi Shragai in the West Bank town of Sebastia, what was once the capital city of the Kingdom of Israel. "So many parts of history were completely erased just because someone decided to come and build on top of it," she said.
- That is, you attach more importance to certain kind of heritage, and less importance to other kinds of heritage." When Israel was founded in 1948, the first prime minister Ben Gurion talked about how important archeology was to the state of Israel itself. "Every nation needs a unifying myth, something that will bring everyone together to relate to one story that is their story," Greenberg said.

### Areas for Consideration
N/A

### Implications
- As a Palestinian, he says he's not allowed near them when the Israelis are working the site. "The Israelis are not allowing us to work inside this site," he said. "If you start working here, you will see the drones above you.
- The soldiers will come.
- The settlers will come." Palestinian tour guide Zaid Azhari.
- That is, you attach more importance to certain kind of heritage, and less importance to other kinds of heritage." When Israel was founded in 1948, the first prime minister Ben Gurion talked about how important archeology was to the state of Israel itself. "Every nation needs a unifying myth, something that will bring everyone together to relate to one story that is their story," Greenberg said.

### Expert Commentary
This article covers palestinian, sites, israel topics. Notable strengths include discussion of palestinian. Readability: Flesch-Kincaid grade 0.0. Word count: 1720.