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living & working in Ramallah/Al-Bireh, Palestine

[ePalestine] IMEMC: Israel to construct dump in Nablus, just as archaeological discovery made

by | September 20, 2008 | Latest News

Israel to construct dump in Nablus, just as archaeological discovery made  

Friday September 19, 2008 06:09

by Saed Bannoura – IMEMC News  

The timing of an Israeli contractor’s approval by the Israeli government to construct a dump for Israeli garbage on Palestinian land in Nablus coincides with a major archaeological discovery in the area.  

The Israeli government did not respond to questions about its approval of the 20-year permit on the same day that an announcement was made of an important Roman-era archaeological discovery in the area.  The archaeological discovery consists of a large water cistern, which connects to a tunnel to the Roman city of Neapolis.  In the middle of the cistern is a set of spiral stairs.  Palestinian archaeologists say that the find dates from the Roman era, at least 2,000 years ago.  The cistern and tunnel may be connected to other, unknown ruins from that era under the city of Nablus.  

But while Palestinian archaeologists rush to uncover the latest discovery, an Israeli contractor has been approved to begin constructing a massive dump nearby, which will make impossible any more archaeological work in the area.  

Attempts by local Nablus officials to retain control of their own municipality have been repeatedly undermined by Israeli military occupying forces, which hold control of the Palestinian territories by military force since 1967, violating their duties as an occupying power on a daily basis.  

Israeli occupying authorities issue permits to their own citizens to construct Israeli-only settlements, factories and other enterprises on land seized illegally (under international law) from the indigenous Palestinian population.  

Now, in what locals say is a blatant example of the Israeli abuse of their occupying authority, they have issued a permit for an Israeli contractor to dump Israeli garbage on a historically rich and archaeologically valuable area of Palestinian land.  

Environmentalists and Palestinian Authority officials voiced their dismay at the approval of the landfill, and plan to file a lawsuit with the Israeli High Court.  Palestinians, even Palestinian Authority officials, are not allowed to file cases directly with the court, but must use Israeli lawyers inside Israel to act on their behalf.  

Author email: saed at imemc dot org  

IMEMC NEWS     http://www.imemc.org  

http://www.imemc.org/article/57034

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Author

  • Sam Bahour

    Sam Bahour is a Palestinian-American business consultant, writer, and commentator based in Al-Bireh/Ramallah, Palestine. He is the principal of Applied Information Management (AIM), a consultancy specializing in business development and startup advisory services.

    Bahour played a foundational role in establishing two of Palestine’s publicly traded companies: the Palestine Telecommunications Company (PALTEL) and the Arab Palestinian Shopping Centers (APSC). He co-founded Americans for a Vibrant Palestinian Economy (A4VPE), of which he is now an emeritus member, and served as an independent director on the board of Arab Islamic Bank P.L.C. from 2004 to 2025. He currently serves on the board of Just Vision and The Palestine Economic Policy Research Institute (MAS).

    He frequently gives talks to delegations visiting Palestine on the subjects of Palestine’s political economy, Palestinian Politics 101, and a general orientation to the state of affairs under Israeli military occupation.

    A prolific writer on Palestinian affairs, Bahour has been published in major international outlets including The New York Times, The Guardian, Haaretz, The Washington Post, The Boston Globe, the Los Angeles Times, Al Jazeera America, Le Monde diplomatique, Al-Monitor, +972 Magazine, The Hill, and Arab News. He has appeared as a commentator on NPR, CNN, BBC, and other broadcast media.

    Bahour is the co-editor of Homeland: Oral Histories of Palestine and Palestinians (Olive Branch Press, 1993) and was profiled in the bestselling anthology Kingdom of Olives and Ash, edited by Michael Chabon and Ayelet Waldman, in a chapter authored by Chabon titled “The Tallest Man in Ramallah.” He holds an Associate’s and Bachelor’s degree in Computer Technology from Youngstown State University, and a Kellogg-Recanati International Executive MBA — a joint program of the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University and the Recanati Business School at Tel Aviv University.

    He tweets at @SamBahour, blogs at www.epalestine.ps, and may be reached at sbahour[AT]gmail[DOT]com.

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