Current sectionIsrael NewsIsrael Political News'De Facto Annexation' The bill would transfer control over West Bank antiquities from the military-run Civil Administration to a new body under a far-right minister, with powers extending into Palestinian-controlled areas, prompting warnings from legal experts and archaeologists of de facto annexationShare to FacebookShare to XArticle printing is available to subscribers onlyPrint in a simple, ad-free formatSubscribeComments: Zen reading is available to subscribers onlyAd-free and in a comfortable reading formatSubscribeNoa Shpigeland Matan Golan12:40 PM • May 19 2026 IDTIsrael's Defense Ministry warned Monday that a bill establishing a new Israeli heritage authority in the West Bank raises legal concerns, saying it would create an unprecedented model in which an Israeli civilian body exercises powers in the territory and could clash with the military's authority there.Loading...Click the alert icon to follow topics:West BankAnnexationIsraeli politicsIsrael archaeologyCommentsLoading...In the NewsIn the News: Israel-Iran Live UpdatesTrumpIsrael ElectionsIDF-LebanonSan Diego MosqueChannel 14HaQuizHaaretz PodcastIsraeli Officials Say New West Bank Archaeology Authority Raises Legal IssuesAmos Harel on Trump's Dilemma and Netanyahu's DesireSister of Irish President Reportedly Detained by Israel on Gaza FlotillaUnmoved by Trump's Ticking Clock, Iran Forms a New Reality in the Persian Gulf`Israeli Police Monitor Foreign Journalists Critical of Israel to Bar Their EntryRemembering and rebuilding two years laterICYMIHundreds Protest at New York Times HQ Over Column Alleging Abuse by IsraelisEverybody Loses in the Cynical Israeli-Palestinian Sexual Violence CompetitionWelcome to the Most Shameful Day in the Jewish CalendarIsraeli Settler Filmed Abusing Palestinian-owned Dog in West BankIsraeli Teens Storm Muslim Quarter in Old City, Haaretz Reporter AttackedIsrael Attacks New York Times for Report on Sexual Violence by Israeli Forces