ISRAEL - Historical Site Taken Back

Israel’s Civil Administration announced its intention to expropriate large swaths of Sebastia, a major archaeological site in the West Bank, in the document obtained by The Associated Press. Peace Now, an anti-settlement watchdog group, said the site is around 1,800 dunams (450 acres)—Israel’s largest seizure of archaeologically important land.

The capital of the ancient Israelite kingdom Samaria is thought to be beneath the ruins of Sebastia, and Christians and Muslims believe it’s where John the Baptist was buried.

The new outpost could be a response to the latest Palestinian attack on Israelis in the West Bank. It’s close to the busy junction where Palestinian attackers stabbed one Israeli to death and wounded three more.

Hagit Ofran, the director of Peace Now’s settlement watch program, said the outpost is on land that used to be an Israeli military base. Photos that settlers shared online show temporary homes at the site and bulldozers at work.

-www.nbcnews.com, 20 November 2025

Commentary: Questions arise when reading the entire article by the Associated Press about the Jewish Peace Now movement, an Israel-based organization that advocates for peace through public pressure, focusing primarily on ending the Israeli occupation of Palestinian lands and supporting a two-state solution—really. For informed people, it seems all but impossible to believe that Jews in Israel have not learned their lesson. It was in September 2005 that Israel unilaterally withdrew and surrendered 21 settlements in Gaza with about 2,000 Jewish citizens. Israel unilaterally placed Gaza in the hands of Arabs.

What did the Gazans do? Did they educate their people? Develop the land? Facilitate education and technological development? None of these. Residents of Gaza, under the leadership of Hamas, determined to indoctrinate their children, blaming their backward condition exclusively on Israel. Subsequently, the shout came: “Kill Jews.” That was the distinct order to over 6,000 murdering terrorists when they entered Israel with their weapons of destruction on 7 October 2023.

When looking back, we realize that within the tragedy for Israel, a miracle is revealed. Over 6,000 armed terrorists murdered over 1,200 innocent men, women, and children. Additionally, some 254 were taken hostage back to Gaza. Their instruction: “Kill as many Jews as you can.”

With such an overwhelming force of terrorists, whose only order was to kill Jews, the number is actually rather small. One must assume that the great number of these terrorist murderers were plagued by blindness from on high. There is no other reasonable explanation!

Sebastia Etymology

“In ancient times, the city of Sebastia was known as Shomron which derives from the Hebrew term meaning ‘watchman.’ The city bearing the ancient Hebrew name of Shomron later gave its name to the central region of the Land of Israel surrounding the city of Shechem (modern-day Nablus). In Greek, Shomron became known as Samaria” (en.wikipedia.org).

While Israel’s interest lies particularly in the archaeological and historical conversation, NBC calls it a “settlement” and “[seized] historical site.”

When it comes to history, it clearly reveals that territory to be Jewish. Yet the world will continue to contest, and we again ask the natural question, why? The reason is very simple: The powers of darkness are desperate to hinder the fulfillment of the prophetic Word. Just as it happened during the days when Jesus was born.