Court Ruling Protects Ancient Caesarea Neighborhood

CAESAREA, ISRAEL—Plans for a new residential neighborhood in Israel’s city of Caesarea have been put on hold after a long legal battle because of the presence of archaeological artifacts at the site, where the Israel Antiquities Authority found artifacts and features from the Roman and Byzantine periods. “There is no doubt that this is an area with a high real estate value….The IAA is not prepared to approve the plans, and therefore the legal battle was persistent for many years and ultimately it was decided in favor of protecting the antiquities,” said Radwan Badahi, legal council for the IAA.