Israel Threatens to Seize Ancient Water Reservoirs Near Bethlehem

Israel is threatening to seize ancient water reservoirs near Bethlehem, known as Solomon's Pools, marking a potential escalation in its campaign for control of West Bank land and the Middle East's historical narrative. Israeli finance minister Bezalel Smotrich explicitly threatened in May to "erase" agreements from over 30 years ago that confirmed Palestinian ownership of the pools. Since then, Israeli settlers and troops have increased their presence around the site.

Solomon's Pools date back to the second century BCE, with major construction by the Romans a century later as part of a vast engineering project to supply water to Jerusalem. Today, the pools serve as a primary recreational area for local Palestinians, particularly those from Bethlehem, as the city has become increasingly hemmed in by new settlements.

Under the second Oslo Accord of 1995, Solomon's Pools were designated as part of Area A, under Palestinian civil and police control. However, Israeli ministers have begun to assert that parts of Area A can be appropriated at will. Smotrich stated that leaving such a "magnificent ancient water site" under Palestinian control was "one of the terrible mistakes" of the Oslo Accords.

Alon Arad, an Israeli archaeologist and executive director of Emek Shaveh, noted that the site is being "weaponised in order to erode and basically cancel the Oslo agreement." While the name Solomon's Pools suggests Jewish historical significance, it is a historical misnomer, as King Solomon is thought to have ruled about 800 years before the reservoirs' construction. Eman al-Titi, head of Bethlehem's tourism and antiquities department, suggests the name refers to the Ottoman sultan Suleiman the Magnificent, who restored Jerusalem's walls and water supply in the 16th century.

Source: Israel threatens to seize ancient water reservoirs near Bethlehem