Inside Israel's Controversial Development of 'Herod's Pool' on Private Palestinian Land in the West Bank

Israel has initiated a development project surrounding an outdoor pool in the occupied West Bank, which was filled after settlers illegally diverted water from a Palestinian village over the summer. Rather than restoring the water to the village of Fasayil, near Jericho, Israeli authorities are formalizing the site as “Herod’s Pool,” named after an ancient Jewish king.

Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich announced on Sunday that the “development and preservation” of the site had begun, linking it to broader efforts to strengthen Israel's presence and historical claims in the region. The announcement follows Smotrich’s June pledge of nearly $1m to develop the area, despite the pool sitting on privately owned Palestinian land belonging to a local farmer named Saad Nemer.

Critics, including the Israeli NGO Emek Shaveh, argue that archaeology is being weaponized to assert exclusive Jewish claims to the West Bank. Meanwhile, Nemer and his family face severe agricultural losses and intimidation as their irrigation water is redirected for the pool, with COGAT investigating the unauthorized diversion.