Full Breakdown
Dispute Over Solomon’s Pools Intensifies
8/4/2026, 10:43:09 PM
Historical Background
Solomon’s Pools are three ancient reservoirs built more than 2,000 years ago to supply Jerusalem with water during the Second Temple period. Archaeologists date their original construction to the Hasmonean era in the second century B.C., and Herod the Great later expanded the system for his palace-fortress at Herodium. Under the British Mandate the pools were renovated and became known as “Jerusalem’s beach.” The 1993 Oslo Accords divided the West Bank into Areas A, B and C; the pools lie in Area A, placing them under Palestinian civil and security control.
Claims of Neglect and Contamination
Efrat officials argue that the site has deteriorated under Palestinian Authority (PA) management. Yonatan Marcus, chief of staff of the Efrat Municipality, says the pools are filled with sewage water deliberately diverted into the reservoirs, replacing the fresh water that historically flowed there. He notes that Arabic signs now prohibit swimming because of the contamination and that visits by Israelis occur only on coordinated tours secured by the IDF’s Judea and Samaria Division. “Solomon's Pools are not only the history of the Jewish people in the Land of Israel and the source of Jerusalem's living water, but also the future of Efrat in our ability to exercise our sovereignty, preserve Efrat's development space and sustain tourism for all religions in the area between Jerusalem and Hebron,” — Dovi Shefler, mayor of Efrat
Palestinian Authority Response
Ahmad Fattouh, a spokesman for the PA’s Fatah faction, rejects the allegations, calling them “absolutely audacious.” He contends that Israeli settlers diverted the springs feeding the pools, that the PA has restored the site and developed it for tourism, and that the claim of dry pools is false. “It's absolutely audacious that the leadership of the colonial settlement of Efrat claims to be concerned about the condition of Burak Sulayman's pools when they are the very reason behind its declining water levels,” — Ahmad Fattouh
Calls for a Sovereignty Shift
Yishai Fleisher, international spokesman for Hebron, argues that preserving the pools requires a permanent Israeli presence, including cameras, patrols and farms. He claims the PA is attempting to build a mosque to block Israeli activity and calls for the pools to be transferred to Israeli control in Area C. “Since the story started breaking, the P.A. is trying to build a mosque there. The goal of the P.A. is to stop Israeli presence in Judea and Samaria and the Land of Israel. They are not about developing anything for its own sake,” — Yishai Fleisher, international spokesman for Hebron
Data & Statistics
The three reservoirs together hold approximately 288,000 cubic meters (more than 10 million cubic feet) of water. They are fed by the Arrub and el-Biyar aqueducts and receive additional rainwater, historically providing year-round supply to Jerusalem. The pools sit between Efrat and Bethlehem along Route 60, a corridor often described as the “Biblical Highway.”
