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Israel Returns Smuggled Ancient Relics to Egypt

December 13, 2021
Photo: Shlomi Amsalem/GPO

Israel’s Foreign Minister Yair Lapid presented to Egypt’s Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry 95 Egyptian relics that were illegally smuggled into Israel last week, which occurred during Lapid’s diplomatic visit to Cairo to hold talks with President Abdel Fattal El-Sisi. “At the request of the Egyptian authorities and as a gesture of goodwill, the Israeli government and the Israel Antiquities Authority decided to return the items to the Egyptians,” Israel’s Foreign Ministry stated on Facebook.  Four of the relics were caught in 2013 at the Ben Gurion Airport after a dealer attempted to smuggle the Egyptian antiquities into the country. The relics were purchased by the dealer in England; he attempted smuggling them into Israel without passing through customs. Indeed, Israel, which is arguably the only Middle Eastern country with a legal framework which enables the purchase and selling of antiquities in stores with proven provenance, is a significant crossroad in the international trade in antiquities. Egyptian, and Middle Eastern antiquities, eventually find permanent homes into the United States and mainland Europe through its regulated market.  The Israel Antiquities Authority updated the Egyptian authorities on the incident. In the same year,…


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