The recent Israel-Iran war left a devastating mark across Israel, not only in 28 lives lost, hundreds of homes destroyed and communities displaced, but also in the extensive damage inflicted on some of the country’s most iconic heritage sites.
From Haifa through Tel Aviv to Beersheva, cultural landmarks that tell the story of Israel’s past found themselves in the path of destruction.
When a ballistic missile struck the Weizmann Institute of Science in Rehovot, the damage was staggering, estimated at nearly $600 million.
Among the buildings impacted was Weizmann House, the historic residence of Israel’s first president, Chaim Weizmann. The home, designed in 1936 by legendary architect Erich Mendelsohn, suffered damage to its original windows and doors.
Just a decade ago, Weizmann House reopened to the public after an extensive year-long restoration and conservation process. Work has already begun on the new round of repairs.
Nearby, the same missile strike caused blast damage to a new entrance hall at the Minkoff Citrus Orchard Museum, along with several other historic buildings on its grounds.
Tucked behind the towering modern buildings of Rehovot’s Science Park, the museum preserves the legacy of Zalman Minkoff, a visionary entrepreneur who, in 1904, planted the region’s first citrus orchard. He revolutionized irrigation by using a mechanical pump to draw water from deep wells, exporting oranges by camel to the port of Jaffa, and then by sea to markets abroad.
Weizmann House and the Minkoff Citrus Orchard Museum are among several cultural and historical sites that represent key chapters in Israel’s founding. Both fall under the umbrella of the non-profit Society for the Preservation of Israel Heritage Sites (SPIHS), which oversees over 220 heritage sites nationwide. They are the latest in a growing list of sites damaged since the Hamas massacre on Oct. 7, 2023, particularly in communities near Gaza and along Israel’s northern border.
In the Upper Galilee, HaReut Museum, dedicated to the story of Palmach soldiers who fought and fell in the battle for control of northern Israel during the War of Independence, was struck when fires caused by Hezbollah rockets, swept through the area. The woodland surrounding the site was burned and parts of the museum’s exhibit were damaged.
Down south, the Yad Mordechai Museum was directly hit. A Hamas missile pierced the roof above the Mila 18 exhibit, which tells the story of Mordechai Anielewicz and the Jewish resistance fighters in the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising. Recognizing the irony of the event, the museum decided not to repair the damage. The gaping hole has become an attraction in its own right—a strong reminder of how Jewish history, unfortunately, tends to repeat itself.
“Wars have consequences—and often devastating ones,” Omri Shalmon, CEO of SPIHS, told JNS. “Missiles do not distinguish between structures and during the war with Iran, a number of heritage sites and historic buildings were severely damaged. But the loss is more than physical; it’s a blow to the story each place tells and the role it plays in the community.”
Israel’s central region
According to authorities, property damage during the brief but intense conflict with Iran reached unprecedented levels. Over 40,000 claims were filed, the majority from Israel’s central region.
In Tel Aviv, the cradle of modern Hebrew culture, several key heritage sites suffered significant damage. Five buildings in the Bialik Square area, each with deep historical importance, were hit.
Among them was Bialik House, the former home of national poet Hayim Nahman Bialik—a castle-like structure built in the 1920s that became a symbol of the city’s spiritual and artistic awakening.
It remains one of Tel Aviv’s most visited landmarks, celebrated for its stunning architecture and collection of original furniture and artwork.
Nearby, the Tel Aviv-Yafo City Museum, the Reuven Rubin Museum (once the home of the famous Israeli painter) and several others were also damaged.
In Sarona, Tel Aviv’s restored Templer neighborhood, the Visitor Center sustained blast damage. Several historic buildings—once homes and workshops of the German Templers—were damaged by the shockwaves.
Sarona’s story dates back to 1868, when a small group of German Christian Templers settled in the Holy Land and began establishing agricultural colonies. They introduced modern farming tools, cultivated vineyards and dairy farms, and built some of the earliest examples of European-style architecture in pre-state Israel.
By World War I, British authorities had deported many of them. After the rise of the Nazis in 1933, their influence in the region became more visible, with swastika flags flying from buildings in Sarona. In 1941, the British deported over 600 German nationals to Australia and by 1948, the remaining Templers were expelled entirely.
Cross-community damage in Haifa and Beersheva
As Shalmon noted, missiles don’t distinguish between heritage and modern structures—nor between religions. In Haifa’s lower city, several historic buildings were damaged, including a church and a mosque. While some of the affected properties are under private or religious management, SPIHS is now coordinating with local authorities to assess the damage and determine its next steps in helping them to rebuild.
One of the worst strikes occurred in Beersheva, where an Iranian missile scored a direct hit on the historic campus of Soroka Medical Center. Some of its original buildings, designed by renowned architects Arieh Sharon and Benjamin Idelson, were destroyed. The two were awarded the Israel Prize for Architecture—Sharon in 1962, Idelson in 1968—for their design of the Soroka complex.
Restoration work underway
Despite the immense destruction, restoration efforts are already in motion for many of these damaged buildings.
“SPIHS professionals have completed initial surveys in affected areas, assessed the damage, and begun preparing for restoration,” Shalmon said. “The immediate priority is to stabilize and salvage what we can. From there, we will develop preservation plans for surviving structures and prepare historically accurate reconstructions for those that were lost. We are bringing every tool we have to this mission, backed by decades of experience and dedication.”
For SPIHS, the work isn’t only about repairing buildings. It’s about safeguarding the places where Israel’s story is told.