First Person: Antiquities Director Throws BAR for a Loop

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On a visit to Jerusalem in June, I spent an hour and a half talking with Amir Drori, director of the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA), who had just been reappointed for a third term. A former general in the Israeli army, he had relatively little experience in archaeology when he took over 12 years ago and was promptly thrust into the controversy over the release of the Dead Sea Scrolls. At the time, he considered suing me for publishing photos of the unpublished scrolls, but now we chatted easily as friends. My column for this issue was to be a brief report on my interview with Drori. But just as the presses were about to roll, word came from Jerusalem that Drori had resigned. Hold the presses! What had happened between then and now?

Generally tight-lipped, stern, uncommunicative, inarticulate and uncomfortable speaking English, after some prodding during our talk in June, Drori even admitted that his job was “fun.” While he did not seek the new term, he was happy to accept it.

He was proud of his accomplishments. When he assumed the job, there were only about 20 archaeologists on his staff. By 2000, there were over 200. However, a serious problem had developed. Most of these archaeologists were engaged in salvage digs, sometimes called rescue excavations. These occur when archaeological remains are unexpectedly encountered while building a road or clearing land for development. Israeli law states that no construction can take place without the IAA’s permission. When a preliminary inspection indicates the presence of archaeological remains, the site must be excavated before it can be built on. Drori has been requiring developers to pay for these excavations, although the law does not specifically require them to do so. These digs became a major source of income for the IAA; soon the five Israeli universities with archaeological departments complained that they were being deprived of their share of this income (and excavation opportunity). The dispute was finally settled when Drori ordered that salvage digs be shared with the universities.

Next, the developers balked at having to pay for rescue excavations. Some claimed Drori was gouging them. Finally, a developer took the IAA to court, claiming that under the law (which was not explicit) the government, not the developer, should pay for rescue excavations. In late 1998 the Israel Supreme Court agreed, indicating that the Knesset, Israel’s parliament, should appropriate money to fund the excavations.^a Many Knesset members from religious parties despise archaeology and archaeologists, however. They believe that IAA archaeologists desecrate Jewish graves (Drori has had his problems with the haredim or ultra-Orthodox; they even put him under a “ban” at one time), and they have enough influence and votes in the Knesset to block any appropriations for rescue digs. So Drori continued to charge the developers as the price for allowing a building permit to be issued. Then, a developer who had paid over a million shekels (about $250,000) for a rescue excavation sued the IAA to get his money back. Last May the court sided with the developer—and had some unusually harsh words for Drori’s IAA. The court charged the IAA with knowingly and willfully taking the law into its own hands. The IAA stepped on the developer’s rights, the court said, with a heavy foot. Its actions were “completely unacceptable” and reflected “rudeness” and “blatant arrogance.”

Drori told me he would appeal the decision. The IAA doesn’t have the money to repay 076the developer. And it is not likely to get it from the Knesset. But if Drori refuses to approve a building permit, the developer can’t proceed. But, he admitted, “You can’t stop all development in the country.” Yet that seemed to be where matters stood. Solving the impasse was Drori’s top priority, he told me. If he did solve it, he said, he might then resign, having accomplished all his major goals. Besides, 12 years is long enough, he said.

Well, in a short talk from Jerusalem as we went to press, Drori claimed to have solved the problem (although it is not clear how). But that is why, he says, he has followed through on his desire to get out. He devised a scheme, he says, whereby the government and developers would somehow share the cost of rescue excavations. The plan has not been passed by the Knesset, but rather was adopted by the IAA with the approval of Israel’s prime minister, Ehud Barak. Drori still intends to appeal the adverse court decision that requires reimbursing the developer for the cost of the rescue operation on his land.

Drori’s accomplishments during his 12 years in office are numerous. He inherited a department in disarray; he entirely reorganized it. When he was appointed, the department was part of the education ministry; he succeeded in having legislation passed that made his operation a government “authority.” This gave government archaeology unusual autonomy, including the right to raise its own money, at which the IAA, with the help of development director Ya’akov “Kobi” Fisch, has been highly successful.

Drori is also proud of the dent the IAA has made in the number of unpublished excavations. Some archaeologists have even been refused permits to dig because they have failed to complete publication of previous excavations.

In addition, a number of archaeological sites have been or are being preserved and developed for tourists, including Beth-Shean, Caesarea, Sepphoris, Akko, Maresha, Hatzevah and parts of Jerusalem. Unfortunately, the tourism ministry has not always wisely used the money allocated to it, according to Drori. Money that should have been used to develop archaeological sites for tourists has been diverted to other projects, such as roads and seashore development. Some government officials feel that there are enough tourist sites. Drori disagrees.

Drori has agreed to stay on until his successor is found. There are qualified candidates both inside and outside the IAA, he said. Of his own plans, he admitted he has some offers, but declined to discuss them.

On a visit to Jerusalem in June, I spent an hour and a half talking with Amir Drori, director of the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA), who had just been reappointed for a third term. A former general in the Israeli army, he had relatively little experience in archaeology when he took over 12 years ago and was promptly thrust into the controversy over the release of the Dead Sea Scrolls. At the time, he considered suing me for publishing photos of the unpublished scrolls, but now we chatted easily as friends. My column for this issue was to be […]