Izrael vrátil Grécku 22 starovekých artefaktov, Atény opäť žiadajú aj Parthenónske mramory
Greece received back 22 ancient objects from Israel that Athens claims were illegally exported. This is the first such case between the two countries, and Greece used it to reiterate its call for the return of the Parthenon Marbles.
Israel returned 22 “illegally exported” ancient vases, drinking vessels, and a statue to Greece. Greek Culture Minister Lina Mendoni called it a gesture of “particular significance.”
The handover of the artefacts at the museum in Athens took place at a time when Greece is intensifying its campaign for the return of sculptures taken from the Acropolis. The objects date mainly from the 5th and 6th centuries BC and were seized by investigators from the Israel Antiquities Authority. They were handed over to the Greek side by Israel’s ambassador to Athens, Pninat Yanay.
The First Collection Returned from Israel
“Today’s return of these 22 antiquities from Israel to our country is of particular significance,” Mendoni said in a statement, adding that the objects had been “illegally exported” from Greece. She added that this is the very first case in which Israel has returned artefacts to Greece, which she said marks the beginning of closer cooperation between the two countries in protecting cultural heritage.
According to the minister, every return of a cultural object to its place of origin has a broader symbolic and moral dimension.
Calls for the Return of the Parthenon Marbles
In this context, Greece has again called on Britain to return the so-called Parthenon or Elgin Marbles. These are 2,500-year-old sculptures that were removed from the temple on the Acropolis in the 19th century and are now in the British Museum. Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said last week that these marble sculptures could be part of any negotiations on closer relations between Britain and the European Union.
