Israel will not allow Palestinians to damage a major archaeological site located deep in the biblical heartland of Samaria, one that is revered by millions of Jews and Christians as the location where Joshua built an altar, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said.
The minister spoke following Palestinian media reports regarding a planned Palestinian construction project in the area of Mount Ebal, an early Israelite cultic site near the ancient city of Shechem. The city, referred to today as Nablus, appears in the Bible as the first capital of the Kingdom of Israel.
The Mount Ebal issue also highlights the need for the preservation, upkeep and safeguarding of Israeli archaeological sites in Palestinian-controlled areas after decades of neglect, damage and disrepair.
The defense minister said that he has instructed the IDF to carry out frequent patrols in the area, and to prevent any activity which could damage the site.
Israeli Jews are not allowed to visit the site without military coordination.
Groups of Evangelical Christians continue to routinely visit the site with an IDF escort, said Aaron Lipkin, the Israeli owner of a travel agency that specializes in tours of the biblical heartland for Evangelicals.
Two years ago, the outer walls of the roughly 3,000-year-old site were damaged during Palestinian roadwork carried out by crews from the nearby village of Asira ash-Shamaliya, prompting an earlier Israeli outcry. The village mayor said at the time that any damage was unintentional.
The most serious damage inflicted at a Jewish holy site in the Palestinian-controlled territories has taken place at the compound revered by Jews as Joseph’s Tomb and located inside Nablus. It was repeatedly ransacked, vandalized and set on fire, in violation of agreements requiring the Palestinians to safeguard holy sites.