Warnings of a plan to Judaize 'Solomon's Pools' in Bethlehem after an official raid by occupation ministers

The historical area of Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent's Pools in the village of Artas, south of Bethlehem, witnessed a dangerous escalation on the ground, following a widespread raid carried out by Israeli occupation forces accompanied by groups of settlers. Prominent political officials participated in this raid, led by Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and Knesset member Zvi Sukkot, amidst strict military measures imposed around the three pools, which led to clashes with Palestinian citizens who tried to confront the raid.

Sources reported that the occupation forces prevented citizens from reaching the area and obstructed movement, to ensure that settlers desecrated the archaeological site by swimming in the pool waters and performing Talmudic rituals. This step comes in the context of a systematic policy aimed at controlling Palestinian historical landmarks and giving them a Jewish character, exploiting the political cover provided by far-right ministers in the Israeli government.

For his part, Minister Smotrich made statements that raised widespread fears about the future of the site, claiming that the pools date back to what he described as the 'Hasmonean era' two thousand years ago, asserting that their presence under full Palestinian control (Area A) is a historical mistake. Smotrich explicitly confirmed that work is currently underway to transfer the site's affiliation to Area C, which is under Israeli security and administrative control, in preparation for extending full sovereignty over it and facilitating settlement projects there.

In the face of these plans, popular activities and Palestinian families in Bethlehem launched calls for general mobilization and intensive presence in the vicinity of the historical pools to protect them from Judaization. Palestinians insist on adhering to the site's Arab and Islamic identity, stressing that permanent presence in the area is the only way to thwart the occupation's attempts to steal history and falsify geographical facts in the heart of the governorate.

It is worth noting that Sultan Suleiman's Pools are considered among the most important water and archaeological landmarks in Palestine, having been established by the Ottoman Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent in the year 943 AH to secure water for Jerusalem and Bethlehem. These pools can hold about 2.4 million cubic meters of water flowing from three main water springs, and for centuries they have constituted the water lifeline for the region and a tourist and historical destination embodying Islamic civilization in Palestine.

Including these pools within the areas under Palestinian control was an inaccurate decision, and the goal is to transfer their affiliation to Area C.