STATEMENT ON ISRAELI EXPROPRIATION OF THE ACROPOLIS OF SEBASTIA AND SURROUNDING AREA
APRIL 2026
The European Association of Archaeologists is the largest membership organisation of archaeologists in Europe and is committed to the promotion and protection of cultural heritage. As emphasised in our statement on the Israel/Gaza conflict issued in November 2024, the Association and its members have deep concerns and compassion for the unbearable human suffering and call on all parties to strive for immediate solutions that safeguard human lives, and the cultural heritage of the entire region. The Association has a commitment to the holistic preservation of the integrity, authenticity and diversity of the rich cultural heritage located in the area, which is the expression of a multicultural and multi-religious past and present of this region. We therefore deplore and condemn any act of damage, destruction, endangering or distortion of cultural heritage sites of any period or type, including relevant museums and archives. We have a special concern for the safety of, and effects of the conflict on, our colleagues in the region, regardless of citizenship, ethnicity, religion or political or other allegiance, and the communities with which they work.
As archaeologists, we wish to emphasise, in the strongest terms possible, that cultural heritage is a fundamental pillar for the existence, identity and well-being of human societies – not only as material relics, but also as witnesses of the past. The maintenance of cultural heritage is therefore an irreplaceable component of basic human rights.
On this basis, the European Association of Archaeologists is very disturbed to note that the Israeli Civil Administration published an expropriation order on 12 November 2025 for the heritage site of Sebastia and the surrounding area, including plots of land belonging to both residents of Sebastia and the neighbouring town of Burqa. The expropriation will affect approximately 550 privately owned agricultural plots, used mainly for the local olive industry. This development would make Sebastia the fifth antiquities site in the illegally occupied West Bank to be expropriated since 1967. The EAA is concerned that the reason given for this expropriation – namely ‘The preservation and development of the site as a visitor-accessible site for the general public’ – have not been sufficiently demonstrated, and it is not clear what mitigation measures, if any, have been taken to offset the damages of expropriation to the livelihood and well-being of the local populations. A further reason for severe concern is the Geneva Convention that forbids any archaeological activity in territories under martial conflict.
Sebastia is one of the most significant ancient cities in the region, since its foundation in the 9th century BCE as the capital of the biblical kingdom of Israel, a Roman settlement, a site over Persian, Hellenistic, Roman, Byzantine, Islamic periods to the present time, within a cultural area, which resulted in a mixture of various archaeological and cultural contexts. Since 2012 it is included on UNESCO’s tentative list of World Heritage Sites for the State of Palestine. The effects of the large-scale expropriation is to sever the ancient site of Sebastia from the Palestinian historic town of Sebastia, connect the site to Road 60 and turn the site into a tourist attraction (similar to the City of David in Silwan, East Jerusalem) under Israeli management. This development follows government decision 491 of May 2023, which allocates 32 million NIS (the Israeli currency) to develop a ‘Shomron (Samaria) National Park’ in a plan that entails massive development of the site, including a visitors’ centre, a car park, and a fence that will separate the acropolis from the rest of the town.
The EAA is concerned that the Israeli authorities are making use of archaeology in pursuit of political goals in a way that violates international law and contravenes the Oslo agreements.
What is unfolding at Sebastia and other sites of cultural significance in the Occupied Palestinian territories is a clear act of seizing control of archaeology and cultural heritage that involves the expropriation of land, cultural deprivation and the displacement or dislocation of people and communities. We call upon all archaeologists, heritage practitioners, academic and professional bodies concerned with cultural heritage — in Israel and internationally — to take a principled and unequivocal stand against the misuse of their discipline for these blatantly illegal and unethical political ends, which undermine professional ethics and violate cultural and human rights as set out by international law. The EAA will give its full support to any archaeologist, whether an EAA member or not, who encounters difficulties in adhering to these professional ethical obligations in this and similar situations.