From a remote hilltop just north of Nablus, the view stretches across the occupied West Bank. Israeli settlements, Palestinian villages and the winding roads and checkpoints that connect – and divide – them.
Scattered among the olive groves below lie thousands of years of history: the remains of an ancient palace, a Roman theater and weathered columns that have outlasted empires. Sebastia is one of the most layered archaeological sites in the Middle East. And right now, it is a flashpoint in a fight between Israeli and Palestinain authorities over land, heritage and narrative.
Over the past year, Israel has moved to seize roughly 500 acres of privately owned…