At the end of a secret and complex operation, the Israeli Civil Administration in Judea and Samaria arrested three Arab antiquities dealers in the Samaria region and confiscated rare archaeological finds, some of which were thousands of years old worth hundreds of thousands of shekels; many of which visibly depicted Jewish heritage and served as a reminder of the deep-rooted Jewish connection to the region.
All the thieves live in Arab villages under the control of the Palestinian Authority. It was not clear if the dealers were working for or with the Palestinian Aurthority which has a dedicated program to either destroy, or claim ancient Israelite sites and biblical artifacts for their own using the United Nations' Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) 'heritage' label.
Palestinian Authority Paves Road Over Jewish Antiquities in Samaria National Park | United with Israel https://t.co/EL7AF0Irh6 Succeeding in deleting ant Hebrew history from antiquity?
— blingblingfling (@blingblingfling) March 18, 2023
Following the arrest of an illegal antiquities dealer several months ago, the Archeology Subcommittee Unit in the Civil Administration of Judea and Samaria, in cooperation with the Investigations and Intelligence Division of the Police Department, began an undercover investigation against a number of antiquities dealers and robbers engaged in robbery and illegal trade in the Samaria region.
Last Wednesday, the investigation’s process was made public in the framework of which the Archeology Unit, together with the Israel Defense Forces Nablus Coordination and Liaison Directorate and Battalion 9213, raided the villages of Kalil and the flashpoint village of Huwara in search for the antiquities.
Israel Antiquities Authority seizes hoard of stolen artifacts in raid of home in #Jerusalem https://t.co/pF5VZ581Xy
— Biblical Archaeology Review (@BibArch) March 11, 2023
During the night between Wednesday and Thursday, three antiquities dealers and robbers were arrested, and likewise, archaeological findings worth hundreds of thousands of shekels, which were held illegally, were confiscated. The archaeologist's department was in need of IDF protection since the raided villages like as Huwara, are notoriously hostile towards Israelis, Jews in particular.
As part of the covert operation, which took place as part of the extensive activity led by the Archeology unit in the Civil Administration to preserve archaeological findings and eradicate the phenomenon of antiquities robbery in the Judea and Samaria region, dozens of archaeological items were seized including bowls, jugs, coins, glassware and many jewels dating from the Middle Bronze Age to the Byzantine period. Among the rare finds, a variety of candles decorated with the Jewish symbol of a Menorah were found.
A UNESCO resolution stated that Al Aqsa and other holy sites in Hebron and Bethlehem are an “integral part of Palestine.” infuriating Israeli authorities.
— True Democracy (@smostars) February 11, 2023
UNESCO also condemned Israel, “the occupying power,” for planting fake graves in Muslim cemeteries.#DismantleApartheid pic.twitter.com/Flv3LEb9gb
The Civil Administration of Judea and Samaria announced it will continue to work in conjunction with all the security forces in order to eradicate the phenomenon of antiquities trade and robbery in Judea and Samaria, for the preservation of the archaeological Jewish heritage treasures in the region.
The head of the Civil Administration, Lt. Col. Faris Atila, added: "The Civil Administration will continue to act in order to protect the archaeological sites and heritage treasures in Judea and Samaria and will continue to act against those who try to harm them. This is our duty."
