RAMALLAH, May 12, 2025 (WAFA) – Ali Zaidan Abu Zahri, member of the Palestinian Liberation Organization Executive Committee and President of the Palestinian National Committee for Tangible and Intangible Heritage, urged UNESCO to take immediate action to prevent Israeli colonial and Judaization practices at the Sebastia archaeological site in Nablus.
This call follows an announcement by Israeli "heritage minister" Amihai Eliyahu, regarding the commencement of excavations for the establishment of the "Samaria National Park" on the historic Palestinian site. Eliyahu's actions, under the false claim that the site is a Jewish historical and heritage location, include allocating millions of dollars to rehabilitate the alleged colonial train station, part of Israel's broader cultural colonialism policy.
Abu Zahri emphasized the urgent need for global intervention, particularly by the Muslim world, to pressure Israel to abide by international treaties and agreements and halt these violations.
The Sebastia archaeological site, an important Palestinian heritage location, was added to UNESCO's World Heritage List in 2012 and to the Islamic World Heritage List by ISESCO in 2024.
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