Rabbi Amichai Eliyahu

‘Weaponization of cultural heritage’: Israel accuses PA of exploiting UNESCO in bid for Sebastia

The 450-acre site, which has awaited joining the world heritage list since 2012, has a history dating back at least 3,000 years.

 Israelis visit the site of the ancient village of Sebastia near the West Bank city of Nablus, on April 22, 2019
Heritage Minister Amichai Eliyahu attends a plenum session at the assembly hall of the Knesset, in Jerusalem, January 14, 2026

Ex-hostage chief 'responsible' for Israelis murdered, kidnapped on October 7, minister claims

 Minister of Heritage Amichai Eliyahu arrives to a government conference at the Prime Minister's office in Jerusalem on January 29, 2023.

Israel must hold up to Litani, ensure security ‘at all costs’, heritage minister tells Post

Roman statues uncovered by the Israel Antiquities Authority excavation, June 15, 2026.

WATCH: Two Roman-era statues unearthed during infrastructure dig for Israel Railways near Haifa


Gov’t approves 250m. NIS plan to preserve West Bank heritage sites ahead of Six-Day War anniversary

Additionally, a multi-year plan worth tens of millions of shekel will be put in motion to upgrade existing infrastructure and hopefully turn the sites into major tourist destinations.

View of the ancient archeological site of Sebastia, near the West Bank city of Nablus, May 12, 2025.

Heritage Minister taps INEXTG CEO Esther Shreiber for next IAA director, first woman in role

Her appointment will soon be submitted for approval by the IAA’s council and the government. 

INEXTG CEO Esti Shrieber, tapped to be the next director of the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA).

Erdogan intensifies rhetoric against Israel, MK calls him a 'megalomaniacal dictator'

Erdogan’s harsh rhetoric is considered to be part of his ongoing narrative attempting to position Turkey as a staunch defender of Palestinian rights.

Turkey’s President Tayyip Erdogan speaks after a cabinet meeting in Ankara, Turkey, March 9, 2026.

Israel's Heritage Minister: Palestinians destroying archaeological sites like ISIS did in Syria

Heritage Minister Amichai Eliyahu on archaeology, sovereignty, and the battle over history in Judea and Samaria

Heritage Minister Amichai Eliyahu plants a flag at the archaeological site Sartaba in Judea and Samaria.

Heritage Minister Eliyahu submits opinion on Netanyahu pardon request to Herzog

The submission marks another step in one of Israel’s most unusual clemency proceedings, given that Netanyahu’s criminal trial is still ongoing.

PRIME MINISTER Benjamin Netanyahu giving a press conference, March 19, 2026.

Palestinian doctor arrested for smuggling Second Temple-period coins from West Bank to Jerusalem

Trading in antiquities and bringing antiquities from the West Bank into Israel without a permit as well as searching for antiquities without a license using a metal detector are criminal offenses.

Coins seized by Border Police from vehicle of Palestinian doctor after attempted smuggling into Israel, March 23, 2026.

Israeli flag raised on historic Jordan Valley peak in the biblical heartland

According to the Heritage Minister’s office, the flag was hoisted on the mountain peak in a symbolic act that the ministry said reflects a renewed emphasis on Israel’s spiritual heritage.

An Israeli flag is raised on the peak of Mount Sartaba in the Jordan Valley, February 23, 2026.

Second Temple workshop found on Israel's Mount Scopus during investigation into antiquities thieves

The workshop was discovered at the Ras Tamim archaeological site on the eastern slope of Mount Scopus. 

Newly discovered limestone shards and vessels on display in the new "Criminal Past" exhibit at the Jay and Jeanie Schottenstein National Campus for the Archaeology of Israel, February 16, 2026.

Israel advances bill for authority over West Bank heritage, archaeology sites

Seven MKs voted in favor of the bill, and five MKs opposed it. It will need to pass three readings in the Knesset’s plenum to become a law.

The Knesset Education, Culture and Sports Committee approved the advancement of a controversial bill to establish an authority to oversee antiquities and heritage sites in the West Bank, February 5, 2026.

New archaeology exhibit marks 60 years of Knesset building with rare finds from Jerusalem, Galilee

The event hosted more than 2,000 visitors, including soldiers, police officers, Holocaust survivors, and students from schools and kindergartens across the country.

The new exhibition at the Knesset, February 3, 2026.