Dispute over ancient Solomon's Pools pits Efrat officials against Palestinian Authority

Solomon's Pools, ancient water reservoirs built in the Hasmonean era and later expanded by Herod the Great, lie in the West Bank’s Area A, which is under Palestinian civil and security jurisdiction. Officials from the Israeli town of Efrat, including Mayor Dovi Shefler and chief of staff Yonatan Marcus, argue that the pools are now neglected, contaminated with sewage, and that the deterioration violates the Oslo Accords’ protection clause.

They say Israeli tours, coordinated with the IDF’s Judea and Samaria Division, have prompted limited clean-up efforts. Palestinian Authority spokesperson Ahmad Fattouh rejects these accusations, asserting that Israeli diversion of water sources caused the decline and that the PA has restored the site for tourism. Right-wing activist Yishai Fleisher calls for the pools to be placed under Israeli control in Area C, framing the issue as part of a broader push to dismantle the PA. The controversy reflects competing narratives over heritage, water rights, and sovereignty in the contested region.