A controversial bill seeking to extend Israeli civilian control over antiquities in the West Bank and Gaza would violate Israel’s international commitments and reinforce claims of “creeping annexation,” according to a position paper by the Knesset Education, Culture and Sports Committee legal adviser.

The bill, which establishes a “Judea, Samaria, and Gaza Heritage Authority” under the Heritage Ministry, was discussed on Sunday to prepare it for its final readings in the Knesset plenum, where it could be voted into law. The committee is set to resume its discussion on Monday and vote on sending the bill to the plenum.

“[Regarding West Bank Areas A and B], the bill stands in contradiction to the interim agreements to which the State of Israel is a signatory, and to the legislation adopted in Israel and the [West Bank] for their implementation,” reads the paper published in conjunction with the meeting, referring to the areas in the West Bank under the civilian responsibility of the Palestinian Authority.

“Israel does not have any civil powers in the Gaza Strip,” the document further reads. “Beyond the fact that the application of civilian powers to [Areas A and B, and Gaza] contradicts international agreements that have been adopted into law in Israel and the area, it also raises substantial implementation and enforcement difficulties.”

Under the 1995 Oslo II Accords, the West Bank is divided into Area A, under full Palestinian control, Area B, under Israeli security control and Palestinian civilian control, and Area C, under full Israeli control.

The person currently responsible for antiquities in the West Bank is a staff officer of the Archaeology Unit of the Civil Administration, a branch of the Defense Ministry’s Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT), which is responsible for civilian affairs in the region and staffed by the Israel Defense Forces.

Concerning Gaza, during the committee meeting, Omri Shalom, a representative of the IDF........

© The Times of Israel