The United Kingdom-based Palestine Exploration Fund (PEF) issued a statement declaring that it will boycott Israeli archaeologists involved in excavations in Judea and Samaria, eastern Jerusalem, Gaza, and the Golan Heights. The organization accused Israel of carrying out what it described as illegal archaeological activity and said such actions harm the cultural heritage of the region.
According to the PEF, recent months have seen an increase in what it called destruction and unauthorized excavations at various sites. The group pointed to a February 2025 archaeological conference in Jerusalem as signaling what it termed an expanded Israeli plan to continue excavations in Judea and Samaria.
In its statement, the PEF claimed that Israeli archaeologists have begun excavations at the Samaria-Sebaste site in Area C without the involvement of the Palestinian Authority, which the group asserted holds legal responsibility for the site. The PEF warned that additional locations may face similar activity.
The organization said it opposes these developments, arguing that they "disenfranchise" Palestinians from their heritage and serve as a precursor to further settlement activity. It reiterated its position that international law forbids an occupying power from conducting excavations or removing archaeological material.
The PEF announced that it will not publish material originating from such excavations, will not host those involved, and will not assist their research. The group stressed that its policy targets actions rather than nationalities and stated that scholars who adhere to international law remain welcome to work with the PEF.
Israel’s Heritage Minister Amichay Eliyahu issued a sharp response: "This is an extreme and unprecedented step. The PEF is no longer acting as an academic institution but as a political organization promoting a single narrative while delegitimizing Israeli scholars. This is politics disguised as scholarship."
Eliyahu noted that several researchers affiliated with the PEF have openly stated in professional forums that archaeology should be used to "shape political outcomes in the region."
"When this is the declared mindset, any claim to neutrality collapses. It is ideology masquerading as science."
The minister added that the boycott reveals a deeper intention. "Those who fear Israeli research fear the historical truth. Attempting to silence archaeology is an admission that the findings do not support their narrative."
He concluded: "Israel will continue researching and preserving the heritage of this land. No foreign body will dictate what chapters of our history may be studied or revealed."