The comments came as lawmakers prepared to advance the legislation on West Bank and Gaza antiquities toward final votes in the committee.
The controversial bill seeking to establish a new civilian authority to oversee antiquities and heritage sites within the West Bank and Gaza would constitute a “significant deviation” from current Israeli policy and could violate international law, serving as a way for the government to initiate “creeping annexation,” Knesset Education, Culture, and Sports Committee legal advisor Tami Sella warned on Sunday.
The comments came as lawmakers prepared to advance the legislation toward final votes in the committee.
The contentious bill aimed at creating a new civilian authority to oversee antiquities and heritage sites within the West Bank passed its first reading in mid-May. The proposal is seeking an update to allow authority over the Gaza Strip as well.
The bill is expected to be brought for a vote on Monday in the Knesset Education, Culture, and Sports Committee. If it passes the committee vote, it will advance to its final second and third readings in the plenum to become a law.
A representative of the National Security Council called on the bill to be brought for discussion before Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The legal advisor to the committee warned the panel on Sunday that direct legislation by the Knesset in the area is considered “highly exceptional.”
The Knesset plenum as seen on May 20, 2025. (credit: MARC ISRAEL SELLEM)
Legislation contradicts interim agreements
“The authority to enact it is not free from doubt, and because it applies broad civilian powers even in Areas A and B [of the West Bank] and the Gaza Strip, it contradicts the interim agreements, violates the rules of international law, and could even raise constitutional questions regarding Basic Law: The Military due to the removal of subordination to the Defense Minister,” Sella stated.
Under the Oslo Accords, Israel’s authority extends only to Area C, where it maintains both civil and military control. For Areas A and B, civil governance falls to the Palestinian Authority, which has its own Culture Ministry overseeing preservation efforts.
“Beyond the fact that applying civilian powers in these territories contradicts international agreements incorporated into Israeli and regional law, it also raises substantial implementation and enforcement difficulties,” said Sella.
“Furthermore, anchoring this permanent state responsibility in legislation could strengthen international claims of a process of ‘creeping annexation,’” Sella told the panel.
The bill, sponsored by MK Amit Halevi (Likud), proposes the establishment of a “Judea and Samaria Heritage Authority” that would operate under the Heritage Ministry in a fashion similar to that of the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA), and require the appointment of a council and director.
While supporters of the bill argue that it is critical to protect antiquities and heritage sites in the West Bank, critics say that the legislation would be nothing more than another annexation attempt that would place Palestinians residing in the region under Israeli governance.
The advancement of the controversial legislation comes while the Knesset dissolution bill, which passed its preliminary reading on Wednesday, has still not progressed in the Knesset’s house committee.
The coalition has fast-tracked several controversial bills, scheduling marathon committee meetings to advance as much legislation as possible ahead of a potential Knesset dissolution.
The passage of the Knesset dissolution bill began the process of moving the election date forward slightly from October 27.
The dissolution bill was submitted last week by coalition whip Ofir Katz and had the backing of coalition factions. It must be brought to the Knesset’s House Committee for debate and will need to pass a total of three readings to come into effect.
The bill proposes determining the election date in committee debates.
Even if elections are moved forward from the current scheduled date of October 27, they cannot take place in August because at least 90 days must pass after a Knesset dissolution bill is approved before elections can be held. Every week that the Knesset dissolution bill is not advanced impacts when the election date can be set.
The coalition’s submission of its own dissolution bill has been viewed as a way for Netanyahu to control the pace and timing of the elections, as it grants the government greater control over the process.
Opposition coordinator MK Merav Ben-Ari sharply criticized the antiquities bill for being advanced even though no progress has been made on the Knesset dissolution bill yet.
She said on Sunday regarding the antiquities bill that, “Instead of the [house] committee meeting to discuss [Knesset] dissolution, after 110 MKs voted in favor, this is what they are dealing with.”