Solomon’s Pools, ancient reservoirs built over 2,000 years ago to supply Jerusalem with vital water, have become the epicenter of a fierce modern dispute, with Israeli officials from Efrat accusing the Palestinian Authority of allowing the historically significant site to fall into disrepair since it came under Ramallah’s jurisdiction following the 1993 Oslo Accords. Archaeologists largely attribute the construction of these three reservoirs, located between Efrat and Bethlehem, to the second-century B.C. Hasmonean period, with expansions by Herod the Great to sustain his fortress. Dovi Shefler, Efrat’s mayor, emphasizes that the pools are not only crucial to Jewish history and Jerusalem’s water supply but also integral to Efrat’s future development, tourism, and sovereignty. While the reservoirs, capable of holding approximately 288,000 cubic meters of water, were historically fed by aqueducts and rainwater, their current state is a point of contention. Under the Oslo Accords, the pools were placed in Area A, granting Palestinian civil and security control, a move that Efrat officials claim has led to neglect and deliberate sewage contamination, transforming what was once known as “Jerusalem’s beach” into a neglected and polluted site, despite the PLO’s commitment to protect historical landmarks. Conversely, Palestinian Authority spokesman Ahmad Fattouh vehemently denies these accusations, blaming Israeli settlements for diverting the springs that feed the pools and asserting that the PA has actively restored and developed the site for tourism, accusing Israeli officials of using the issue to justify territorial claims. Yonatan Marcus, chief of staff for the Efrat Municipality, highlights that while Israeli visits are permitted only on coordinated tours, the site’s deterioration is evident, with sewage replacing fresh water, and calls for the pools to be returned to Israeli control in Area C, asserting that the site’s preservation is paramount for Judeo-Christian heritage. Yishai Fleisher, international spokesman for Hebron, further alleges that the PA is attempting to build a mosque at the site and calls for a radical shift in policy, including dismantling the PA and asserting Israeli sovereignty over Judea and Samaria, to ensure the pools are definitively placed under Israeli control.
Adapted from: Latest World News on Fox News