The Palestinian Authority is preparing to lay the cornerstone for a new mosque at Solomon’s Pools, the ancient Jewish waterworks site just south of Jerusalem and adjacent to Efrat in Gush Etzion.
The move comes as Israeli ministers and Knesset members have begun taking public steps to return the historic site to Israeli control, arguing that its placement under Palestinian Authority control during the Oslo process was the result of a cartographic mistake.
Solomon’s Pools, a massive ancient water system near Bethlehem, has long been considered one of the most impressive hydraulic engineering projects in the Land of Israel. Israeli officials who recently toured the site described it as a Jewish heritage treasure that has been neglected, deliberately damaged, and politically exploited under PA control.
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who also toured the site, said there is no comparable historical water system anywhere else and called it “absurd” that such an important heritage site remains under PA control.
AFSI Insight
This is another attempt by the PA to alter the character of a site with deep Jewish historical significance and to strengthen Palestinian claims over an area long connected to Jerusalem and the Jewish people. Solomon’s Pools, an ancient water system that supplied Jerusalem for centuries, is increasingly becoming a focal point in the broader struggle over heritage, sovereignty, and control in Judea.
AFSI supports Israeli initiatives to restore oversight, preserve the archaeological site, and ensure access for Israelis and visitors. Neglect of important Jewish historical sites under Palestinian administration has endangered their preservation and weakened recognition of their Jewish roots.
This is not merely about construction of a mosque, but about safeguarding Jewish history, preventing the erasure of Israel’s heritage, and reinforcing Israel’s responsibility to protect and develop sites of national and biblical importance throughout Judea and Samaria. The plans must be halted without any delay.