Israel returns 22 illegally seized Greek antiquities to Athens in first-ever repatriation between the two countries
A ceremony at the National Archaeological Museum in Athens, where Israel handed back 22 ancient Greek artefacts — including 15 Attic vessels, six Corinthian vases and a bronze statuette — seized during raids near Tel…
Israel has returned 22 ancient Greek artefacts to Athens in what is the first repatriation of its kind between the two nations. Greek Culture Minister Lina Mendoni received the objects from Israeli Ambassador Pninat Yanav at a ceremony at the National Archaeological Museum in Athens. The collection includes 15 Attic vessels, six Corinthian vases and a bronze statuette of a female figure, all from the period spanning the 8th to the 4th century BCE.
The artefacts were seized in 2020 during raids on a gallery, warehouses and apartments in the Gush Dan area near Tel Aviv.
Mendoni described the return as 'the starting point for closer cooperation between the two countries in the protection of cultural heritage.'
