Israel on Tuesday returned a collection of 22 artifacts illegally removed from Greece, in the first repatriation of its kind between the two countries, as Athens renews its push to recover illegally taken and stolen antiquities from around the world.
Among the artifacts returned are fifteen ancient Attic vessels, six vases from Corinthian workshops, and one bronze statue of a female figure, all dating to between the 8th and 4th century BCE.
Of the Attic vessels, eleven are black-and-white, three are red-and-white, and one is ambergris, dating to the ancient and classical periods. The six Corinthian vases date to the ancient period, while the authenticity of the bronze female statuette requires further investigation.
The antiquities had been seized in 2020 during a joint investigation into illegal antiquities trafficking conducted by the IAA's Theft Prevention Unit, Israel Police, and the Israel Tax Authority. As part of the operation, the forces raided a gallery, warehouses and apartments in the Gush Dan area, where thousands of illegally acquired archaeological items from Israel and around the world were found.
They were officially returned in a Tuesday handover ceremony at the National Archaeological Museum in Athens, attended by Greek Culture Minister Lina Mendoni, Israeli Ambassador to Greece Pninat Yanay, and Israel Antiquities Authority's (IAA) Theft Prevention Unit Amir Ganor.
Mendoni said Israel's return of the 22 antiquities is especially significant, "marking the first time Israel has returned antiquities to Greece, serving as the starting point for closer cooperation between the two countries in the protection of cultural heritage."
Combating illegal antiquities trade
"This return confirms that cooperation between states can make a substantial contribution to combating the illicit trade in antiquities," she stated, noting that "The return of any cultural asset to its place of origin carries a broader symbolic and ethical dimension. It serves as a reminder that the protection of cultural heritage is a collective responsibility."
"I am confident that the cooperation between Greece and Israel will continue to yield tangible results in the safeguarding of cultural heritage."
In her own speech at the ceremony, Yanay explained that "Antiquities are much more than historical objects."
"They are moments from the past, frozen in time through art. They tell us who the people who created them were, what they believed in, how they lived, and remind us how deeply the past remains part of who we are today."
"For more than 2,000 years, these ancient objects have witnessed the rise and fall of empires, wars, revolutions, and enormous changes in our world. And through it all, they have survived," she said.
Becoming links in the chains between generations
"This celebration is not only about returning antiquities to their rightful home. It is also a celebration of something much greater and deeper: the special, strong, and profound friendship between the State of Israel and Greece," she wrote.
"Two modern states, two ancient nations, and two great civilizations that deeply understand the meaning of history, the importance of heritage, and the responsibility to preserve it for future generations. These antiquities belong to Greece’s past. Today, through their return, they also become part of the shared future of Israel and Greece."
'"Let us try to imagine a child looking at one of these ancient vessels today and feeling a spark of wonder," added Yanay. "They see what another child might have seen and felt 2,000 years ago, and thus become another link in the chain of generations that had been broken."
"For me, there is also something deeply moving in the thought that I have the privilege, as Ambassador of Israel, of placing this ancient object into your capable hands, and that my country had the honor of contributing to this significant moment and mission."
"The illegal trade in antiquities knows no borders, neither the boundaries of the law nor the borders between countries,” said Ganor. “Antiquities that are looted in one country find their way to another, causing irreversible damage to the cultural heritage of the country of origin."
"The illegal trade in antiquities serves as a cover for the financing of terrorism and organized crime, and it serves as a means of money laundering. Cutting off smuggling chains and preventing continued illegal profiting on the back of antiquities helps to thwart and prevent various types of criminal activity, and certainly helps to protect cultural heritage assets.”