Designation of Sebastia as a World Heritage Site in Palestine

www.emekshaveh.org 

August 2, 2026

Dear friends,   We write at a deeply troubling moment. Over the past ten days, we have witnessed a severe escalation in settler and military violence, accompanied by widespread punitive measures against Palestinian communities. The events are a stark reminder of the broader reality in which Palestinian lives, land and heritage are increasingly under threat.   Against this background, we would like to share some good news. On Friday, July 24th, the UNESCO World Heritage Committee voted to inscribe Sebastia as a World Heritage Site in Palestine. It was simultaneously added to the List of World Heritage in Danger, in part because of the immediate threats posed by Israel’s expropriation measures, unilateral archaeological activity and plans to transform the site into a settler-run tourist park.   Emek Shaveh congratulates the State of Palestine, the Municipality of Sebastia and the people of Sebastia on this historic recognition.  Sebastia basilica and forum

Sebastia preserves archaeological remains spanning six thousand years. It first emerged as a city in the Iron Age, widely identified with ancient Samaria, the 9th century BCE capital of the northern Kingdom of Israel, and contains substantial Hellenistic, Roman, Byzantine, early Islamic, Crusader and Ottoman remains.    Sebastia’s inscription as a World Heritage Site (WHS) in Palestine, recognises both its exceptional importance and Palestine’s status as the State Party responsible for its protection. The inscription is an affirmation that Sebastia’s acropolis, the historic village, and the landscape surrounding them constitute one integral historic and cultural zone and should not be fragmented. While the acropolis area contain remains from the Iron Age through the late Roman and Byzantine periods, the present-day Palestinian village includes the Nabi Yahya Mosque, formerly a Crusader cathedral built over a Byzantine church dedicated to St John the Baptist, a Roman cemetery as well as Ottoman houses, public spaces, agricultural terraces and traditional pathways. The World Heritage Committee voted to inscribe Sebastia through the emergency procedure under criterion (iii), recognising the unique testimony it bears to the successive civilisations that inhabited the site.  Under the Oslo Accords, the village of Sebastia was classified as Area B (where the Palestinian Authority has civilian jurisdiction, but Israel retains security control), while the acropolis and much of the western section were placed in Area C (under full Israeli civilian and security control). What was meant to be a temporary division has prevented Sebastia from being protected and managed as a single cultural landscape for more than thirty years. In the interim, the Municipality of Sebastia, the Palestinian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities and partner organisations have undertaken projects to stabilise historic structures, restore public spaces and rehabilitate the section of the site situated in the village of Sebastia. These efforts also involved local residents receiving training in conservation techniques, allowing heritage protection to create employment, professional knowledge and a renewed relationship between the community and its historic environment. For an in-depth account of the conservation efforts taken by the people of Sebastia, the PA and partner organizations see here. Conservation of historic buildings in the historic core of Sebastia village, (2005-2008) At the same time, the settlers have been leading a campaign highlighting the Israelite (Iron-age) remains associated with the kingdom of Omri and Achab, to justify unilateral actions, land appropriation and exclusive Israeli sovereignty over the section of the site in area C. The efforts were reflected in a government decision from May 2023 to allocate 32 million NIS to develop the section of the site in area C as an Israeli, settler-run tourist attraction which would sever it from the village. Following that, in November 2025, the Israeli Civil Administration (ICA) announced its intention to expropriate the entire archaeological acropolis and a vast surrounding area, including privately owned land belonging to residents of Sebastia and the neighbouring village of Burka. A broader order issued in February 2026 encompassed more than 2,000 dunams.   Minister of Environmental Affairs, Idit Silman, and head of Samaria Regional Council, Yossi Dagan, at Sebastia, early October 2023. These expropriation and development plans threaten to divide the World Heritage Site in two, depriving the Palestinians of their livelihood and cultural heritage. Moreover, the inscription now places Israel’s plans in direct conflict with the 1972 World Heritage Convention. Israel, as a State Party to the Convention, must not take deliberate measures that could damage World Heritage situated in the territory of another State Party. Excavations at the Roman Theatre, led by the Staff Officer for Archaeology within the ICA (July, 2026) The residents of Sebastia have submitted objections to the plans which had been rejected and subsequently petitioned to the High Court of Justice. Emek Shaveh contributed an archaeological and legal expert opinion to the petition. The Court has now temporarily frozen the expropriation pending the State’s response, currently expected in August. This is an important interim achievement, but it offers no guarantee regarding the final outcome.

Emek Shaveh’s position is clear: Conservation cannot serve as a pretext for expropriation, exclusion, unilateral excavation or the replacement of a living Palestinian heritage economy with a site controlled by an occupying power. From the point of view of the settlers and the Israeli government engaged in ongoing efforts to weaponize cultural properties in the service of annexation, this inscription is an obstacle and sends the message that the world is watching.   Israel must halt the expropriation and any development, excavation or infrastructure work undertaken without the participation and consent of the competent Palestinian authorities and the local community. It must allow Palestinian conservation professionals and residents access to the parts of the World Heritage Site situated in Area C. Mayor of Sebastia, Mr. Mohammad Azem and Executive Director of Emek Shaveh, Alon Arad, at a diplomatic briefing in Sebastia, (February, 2026). Sebastia’s inscription is a major achievement, but inscription alone cannot protect the site. Sustained international attention will be necessary to ensure that Israel complies with its obligations and that Sebastia remains intact, accessible to its community and protected as the interconnected cultural landscape for which it has been recognised.   Emek Shaveh will continue to monitor developments, support the residents’ legal and public struggle and oppose the use of archaeology and cultural heritage as tools for dispossession, annexation and political control. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Donate to Emek Shaveh Emek Shaveh thanks the organisations, foundations, countries, and individuals who support its work for a tolerant, equal, and democratic future. The majority of our funding comes from foreign governmental entities, as disclosed on the website of Israel's Registrar of Non-Profits. The content of this newsletter is the sole responsibility of Emek Shaveh and does not necessarily reflect the views of its donors. For additional information: Talya Ezrahi +972-54-5981865, talya@emekshaveh.org  www.emekshaveh.org