Israel Returns 22 Stolen Antiquities to Greece Amid Push for Parthenon Marbles
Israel returns 22 illegally removed ancient artifacts to Greece during an Athens ceremony as the nation intensifies global repatriation efforts.
POLICY WIRE — Athens, Greece — Israel officially handed back 22 ancient antiquities that were previously smuggled out of Greece, supporting Athens as the nation amplifies an ongoing international campaign to reclaim historical treasures like the Parthenon Marbles.
Culture Minister Lina Mendoni accepted the pieces from Amir Ganor and the Israel Antiquities Authority during a formal handover event hosted at the National Archaeological Museum in Athens.
Mendoni emphasized that this marks the inaugural return of antiquities from Israel to Greece, laying the groundwork for deepened bilateral cooperation regarding cultural heritage protection while noting the significant symbolic and moral weight attached to repatriating artifacts to their native lands.
The recovered collection spans roughly from 700 B.C. to 320 B.C., featuring a diminutive bronze statuette of a woman alongside diverse pottery items including slender oil flasks, amphorae with twin handles, and drinking vessels adorned with geometric patterns and mythological artwork.
Greece continues to forge stronger bilateral partnerships globally to bolster its ongoing push to retrieve the 2,500-year-old sculptures taken from the Acropolis, which currently reside in London’s British Museum.
Under its present conservative administration, Athens has steadily deepened defense and energy ties with Israel, highlighted by a recent 3 billion euro (roughly $3.5 billion) agreement signed in August to establish the Achilles Shield air defense system in Greece, marking their largest defense pact to date.
While officials from both nations omitted specific details regarding how the artifacts were originally tracked down or smuggled, Israeli Ambassador to Greece Pninat Yanay confirmed the items surfaced through an investigation by the Israeli authorities into the illegal antiquities trade.
Yanay remarked that archaeology holds a profound place in the national identity of both countries, serving as a vital link to understanding origins and cultural heritage.
Reporting by Policy-Wire (PW)
