Get you up to speed: Israel approves $37m to seize more than 70 occupied West Bank sites
Israeli Minister of Finance Bezalel Smotrich announced a $37 million funding allocation for the control of over 70 historical sites in the occupied West Bank. The approval comes amid ongoing settlement expansion, with reports indicating an increase in settler violence against Palestinians in the region.
The Israeli Finance Ministry’s recent funding allocation follows a 250 million shekel initiative approved in May aimed at archaeological claims throughout the West Bank. There remains no official timeline for the implementation of the new funding, nor details on the specific historical sites targeted by Israel.
Israeli Minister of Finance Bezalel Smotrich described the funding allocation as “a Zionist act of the highest order,” aiming to establish new visitor centres and research facilities at Jewish heritage locations. In response to ongoing tensions, the Knesset’s Finance Committee recently approved an additional 300 million shekels to further support the Settlements Ministry, indicating continued commitment to settlement expansion despite international legal concerns.
What remains unclear — It is not specified which historical sites in the occupied West Bank will be targeted by the new funding allocation.
Israel allocates £37 million to seize over 70 sites in occupied West Bank
News|Israel-Palestine conflictIsrael approves $37m to seize more than 70 occupied West Bank sites
The allocated funding seeks to accelerate Israel’s control of historical landmarks across the occupied West Bank.
Published On 5 Aug 20265 Aug 2026
Published On 5 Aug 20265 Aug 2026Israeli Minister of Finance Bezalel Smotrich has announced a 113 million shekel ($37m) allocation to take control of more than 70 historical sites across the occupied West Bank.
The funding, approved by a government steering committee on Tuesday, builds on a 250 million shekel ($83m) plan approved in May aimed at claiming archaeological sites across the West Bank, the Jordan Valley and elsewhere.
The committee said in a statement that the Settlements Ministry is set to receive 157 million shekels ($52m) in direct funding, along with a further 142 million shekels ($47m) in commitment authorisations.
The new allocation lands on the same day that the Knesset’s Finance Committee separately approved close to 300 million shekels (about $99m) in direct funding and commitments to Israel’s Settlements Ministry.
“This is a Zionist act of the highest order. A people without a past has no future,” Smotrich said, describing plans for new visitor centres and research facilities.
Israel designates the landmarks as Jewish heritage locations, as it seeks to extend state control over Palestinian property and territory.
The occupied West Bank is home to thousands of archeological and heritage sites, some of which date back hundreds of years.
While Smotrich did not name the specific sites, Palestinian media reported that the plans aim to take over Solomon’s Pools near Bethlehem – a site Smotrich has previously sought to bring under Israeli control. About 104 settlements and 160 outposts have been approved in the occupied West Bank since 2022, according to Smotrich.
The Israeli settlements are considered illegal under international law.
Israel’s funding for illegal settlement expansion has continued amid an intensified campaign of settler violence against Palestinians in the West Bank, with more than 11,000 settler and military attacks across the region so far this year, according to Palestinian media.