Last update - 00:00 10/01/2008
Environment Ministry opposes plans to protect Herzliya archaeological site
By Zafrir Rinat, Haaretz Correspondent
The Environmental Protection Ministry objects to a plan formulated by the Herzliya municipality for protecting the Apollonia National Park archaeological site located above the city's northern beach. Ministry officials claim the proposed protective embankment of massive stones will mar the landscape, as it will not blend in with the scenery and the ruins of the ancient buildings connected with Apollonia. The officials further contend that the transportation and arrangement of the boulders, using heavy machinery, will also cause irreparable damage. This opinion was formed by the ministry's professional staff, backed by Environment Minister Gideon Ezra, and will soon be presented to the municipality and the Israel Nature and Parks Authority (INPA). The Green Party is also trying to prevent the implementation of the plan.
The Apollonia site, with its remains of a Crusader fortress, is one of the most important archaeological sites along Israel's shores, but the cliff on which the fortress stands is eroding and crumbling. To prevent the collapse of the site, the Herzliya municipality drafted a plan that was approved two months ago by the local planning and building committee. The plan calls for the construction of a stone wall to protect the base of the cliff from the waves.
"The construction will be supervised by engineers and marine experts to minimize the damage to the beach and to preserve it and the cliff," said a City Hall source.
"We believe a comprehensive study should be conducted regarding the entire beach cliff face and not only that of the Apollonia site," says Galit Cohen of the Environmental Protection Ministry's planning department. "The protection of the cliff must include its upper section, via the revamping of the rainwater drainage system. Alternatives such as wave breakers should also be considered for the lower section.
Cohen stresses that according to legal advice obtained by the ministry, the Herzliya municipality cannot commence work to protect the cliff without the approval from the national planning authorities and an examination of the effect on the area surrounding the wall. The municipality, for its part, claims that the issue is within the authority of the local committee, which made decisions in keeping with plans approved on the local and national levels.
The Green Party has submitted an appeal to the Tel Aviv District planning and building committee, against the decision by the Herzliya local planning and building committee. The appeal argues that no alternatives to the protective wall were examined, such as a man-made sand embankment. The Greens base their claims on an expert opinion by marine geologist Dr. Yaacov Nir.
"Any protective plan for the site," wrote Nir, "from its foundations to the roof, must be comprehensive and all-inclusive. It would be a grievous mistake to assume that the structure to be built of boulders weighing 1-3 tons, will stabilize the whole site."
According to INPA, which supports the city's plan, the boulder wall will be built such that it will not mar the landscape, as the boulders will be matched to the ancient stones. After additional rehabilitative work in the area, including plans for upgrading the drainage system in the upper section of the cliff, pedestrians will be able to walk the entire length of the beach. INPA sources contend that bringing in sand would involve many trucks and would damage the beach. Furthermore, the sand would be quickly washed away.