Solomon's Pools, a series of ancient reservoirs built over 2,000 years ago to supply Jerusalem with water, have become the center of a modern dispute over preservation, heritage, and sovereignty. Officials from the Israeli town of Efrat accuse the Palestinian Authority (PA) of allowing the historic site to deteriorate since it was placed under PA jurisdiction following the 1993 Oslo Accords.
Archaeologists generally date the construction of the three reservoirs, located between Efrat and Bethlehem, to the Hasmonean period in the second century B.C. The system was later expanded by Herod the Great to provide water for his palace at Herodium. Dovi Shefler, mayor of Efrat, stated that the pools represent not only Jewish history in the region but also Efrat's future development and tourism potential.
The reservoirs, which collectively hold approximately 288,000 cubic meters of water, were historically fed by aqueducts and rainwater. During the British Mandate, renovations transformed them into a popular local site.
Under the Oslo Accords, the West Bank was divided into Areas A, B, and C. Solomon's Pools are situated in Area A, which is under Palestinian civil and security control. Yonatan Marcus, chief of staff of the Efrat Municipality, stated that while the intent during negotiations was for the pools to remain under Israeli control, mapping errors led to their placement within Area A. Marcus claims that since coming under PA control, the site has been neglected, with sewage contaminating the pools and much of the infrastructure damaged.
He added that the contamination was not accidental and that wastewater had been deliberately diverted into the pools, contradicting the PA's commitment under the accords to protect historical sites. Marcus emphasized the goal of preserving the reservoirs, which he described as important for Judeo-Christian history.
Marcus noted that despite being in Area A, visits by Israelis are permitted only through coordinated tours secured by the IDF. He also mentioned that visits by Israeli officials, such as Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, have prompted the PA to remove accumulated garbage from the site.
However, Ahmad Fattouh, a spokesman for the PA President Mahmoud Abbas's Fatah faction, rejected these allegations. Fattouh accused Israeli locals of diverting the springs that feed the pools and asserted that the PA has worked to restore and develop the site as a tourist destination. He claimed that Israeli officials are using the issue to push for control of the site, citing Smotrich's visit as evidence that the pools were not entirely dry.
Yishai Fleisher, international spokesman for Hebron, described the pools as a rediscovered element of Jewish history, vital for Jerusalem's water supply for millennia. He advocated for increased Israeli presence, patrols, and the establishment of farms to help preserve the site. Fleisher also called for a policy change, suggesting the dismantling of the PA and assertion of Israeli sovereignty over the West Bank, with Solomon's Pools placed under Israeli control in Area C.
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