Mar 01, 2022, 00:44 am
(This post was last modified: Mar 01, 2022, 16:38 pm by Resurgence. Edited 2 times in total.)
When US authorities reached an agreement with a hedge-fund billionaire to return 180 stolen antiquities to their rightful owners, they promised "justice" to the victims of his heist.
Palestinians, on the other hand, were skeptical that it would apply to them.
They perceived Michael Steinhardt's December agreement with Manhattan prosecutors as another another setback in their doomed attempt to keep custody of priceless antiquities discovered in Israeli-occupied territory.
Steinhardt's collection, valued at $70 million, included a number of items sourced from the occupied West Bank, including locations where even Israel recognizes Palestinian civilian sovereignty.
Steinhardt's collection included a Carnelian fish charm from around 600 BC and an Iron Age cosmetic spoon, both unearthed in Kom, near Hebron, an area controlled by the Palestinian Authority, according to emails released by prosecutors.
Other, more valuable items were discovered in Area C of the West Bank, a Palestinian territory under full Israeli control.
The things illegally removed from Israel and the Palestinian territories should be returned to Israel, according to the New York prosecutors.
"The looting took place either within Israel's borders or at an area over which Israel exercises legal power," they added in justifying their decision.
It was an unexpected outcome for Palestinian officials, since it looked to support Israeli ownership of any artefacts discovered in the West Bank, regardless of where they were discovered.
When asked by AFP whether they contemplated returning any of the items to the Palestinian Authority, the prosecutors remained silent, despite the fact that their own inquiry revealed the pieces' Palestinian provenance.
The antiquities identified in the Steinhardt case "were stolen, sold, and shipped out of Israel illegally," according to the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA), without commenting on those found in Kom.
In addition to private markets and auctions, contested artwork can be found in some of Israel's most prestigious institutions.
A five-piece set of stone masks valued at more than two million dollars was the most valuable item in Steinhardt's collection.
Scholars believe they are among the world's oldest masks, dating back to 7,000 BC and used in ceremonies to represent the spirits of the dead.
https://thegazapost.com/public/en/post/1...igh-prices
Palestinians, on the other hand, were skeptical that it would apply to them.
They perceived Michael Steinhardt's December agreement with Manhattan prosecutors as another another setback in their doomed attempt to keep custody of priceless antiquities discovered in Israeli-occupied territory.
Steinhardt's collection, valued at $70 million, included a number of items sourced from the occupied West Bank, including locations where even Israel recognizes Palestinian civilian sovereignty.
Steinhardt's collection included a Carnelian fish charm from around 600 BC and an Iron Age cosmetic spoon, both unearthed in Kom, near Hebron, an area controlled by the Palestinian Authority, according to emails released by prosecutors.
Other, more valuable items were discovered in Area C of the West Bank, a Palestinian territory under full Israeli control.
The things illegally removed from Israel and the Palestinian territories should be returned to Israel, according to the New York prosecutors.
"The looting took place either within Israel's borders or at an area over which Israel exercises legal power," they added in justifying their decision.
It was an unexpected outcome for Palestinian officials, since it looked to support Israeli ownership of any artefacts discovered in the West Bank, regardless of where they were discovered.
When asked by AFP whether they contemplated returning any of the items to the Palestinian Authority, the prosecutors remained silent, despite the fact that their own inquiry revealed the pieces' Palestinian provenance.
The antiquities identified in the Steinhardt case "were stolen, sold, and shipped out of Israel illegally," according to the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA), without commenting on those found in Kom.
In addition to private markets and auctions, contested artwork can be found in some of Israel's most prestigious institutions.
A five-piece set of stone masks valued at more than two million dollars was the most valuable item in Steinhardt's collection.
Scholars believe they are among the world's oldest masks, dating back to 7,000 BC and used in ceremonies to represent the spirits of the dead.
https://thegazapost.com/public/en/post/1...igh-prices