Livnat 'shifting official archaeology bodies to the right'

Senior archaeologists are up in arms over an amendment to the Antiquities Authority Law proposed by Culture and Sports Minister Limor Livnat that they say will change the make-up of the Israel Antiquities Authority's board of directors.

Critics say Livnat has proposed the legislation to prevent the appointment of Prof. Yoram Tsafrir as chairman of the board of directors of the authority and to allow her to instead appoint archaeologists identified with the political right. Opponents of the bill also say Livnat has also been changing the makeup of the country's senior archaeological body, the Archaeological Council, which advises the director of the Israel Antiquities Authority and the minister who oversees the Israel Antiquities Authority.

"People are being elected according to what they have on their head as opposed to in their head," an opponent of the bill who declined to be named said, referring to religious head coverings.

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