[CPProt.net] Pals.: Israel will take antiquities

[MSN CPPnet (Ton Cremers)]

Pals.: Israel will take antiquities


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Orly Halpern, THE JERUSALEM POST  Jul. 21, 2005 

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Palestinian archaeologists say they fear that when Israel withdraws from
Gaza it will also take priceless archeological artifacts. Israeli officials
have acknowledged this is a possibility. 

A military installation in the northwestern tip of the Gaza Strip surrounds
a sixth century Byzantine church, discovered in 1999 by an Israeli
archaeologist. The well-preserved 1,461-year-old church, which measures 13
by 25 meters, has three large and colorful mosaics with floral-motifs and
geometric shapes. Nearby is a Byzantine hot bath and artificial fishponds. 

The most impressive mosaic is a multi-colored medallion at the entrance to
the church. Its inscription says that the church was called St. John (after
John the Baptist) and its foundations were laid in 544. It also praises
Victor and Yohanan, the mosaic's donors. 

According to international law, it is illegal for an occupying power to
remove ancient artifacts, movable and immovable, from the land. 

But Israel accuses the Palestinians of being unable to safeguard ancient
sites in the West Bank's Areas A and B, under Palestinian control, where
looting by Palestinians is common and most of the looted items are sold to
Israelis. 

"Most of the stolen antiquities come from the Palestinian [controlled] areas
A and B," said Hananya Hizmi, deputy of Israel's Department of Antiquities
in Judea and Samaria. 

"We know because all of the antiquities come from Arab villages. There are
no Arab villages in [Israel-controlled] Area C, only military camps and
Jewish communities." 

Dr. Moain Sadeq, director general of the Department of Antiquities in Gaza
and a professor of archaeology at the Islamic University in Gaza, said the
Palestinians' concern stems from the 1974 removal by Israel's Antiquity
Authorities of a sixth century Byzantine mosaic from Gaza City, called "King
David Playing the Lyre," which now decorates the synagogue section of the
Israel Museum. 

"Probably it was done to preserve the mosaic," said Israel's Hizmi. "Maybe
there was an intention to return [the mosaic] and it didn't work out. I
don't know why." 

Hizmi said that, by law, Israel has the right to preserve the antiquities
and confirmed that the removal of the John the Baptist mosaic is a
possibility they will be considering, based on how the dismantling of the
military base goes. 

"No decision has been taken yet to remove the mosaic," said Hizmi. "We will
do everything possible to prevent any damage to the antiquities." 

Hizmi said the mosaics would be removed to prevent damage. "It is something
that definitely can be done on the spot. We will stop the work and remove it
if necessary." 

Palestinian officials said that removal of the mosaics at the church would
be harmful to peace. 

"We hope that the withdrawal will be a step toward peace, where people can
really see some hope," said Dr. Hamdan Taha, Palestinian Authority deputy
minister of Tourism and Antiquities. "Taking the mosaics will make the
situation worse. If it happens, it will be another great mistake and a clear
violation of international law." 

The Palestinians also dismiss Israel's claims about looting in the
territories, with Taha saying that "the plundering is concentrated in Area
C, because there is a total collapse of the Israeli security system. In Area
C there are more than 800 archaeological sites out of a total of 1,700 in
the West Bank." 

The problem of antiquity-theft is because of Israel's antiquities law,
Palestinians said. Dr. Adel Yahya, a Palestinian archaeologist and the
director of the Ramallah-based Palestinian Association for Cultural
Exchange, said the law encourages people to steal artifacts from the
territories, because Israel allows sale and trade in antiquities but does
not allow excavations without permission. 

"This means that, where Israeli police are in charge, people are not
permitted to excavate without a permit. But in [Area C] people may take
antiquities and sell them to Israelis," said Yahya. "Everything on the
Israeli antiquity market is coming from the West Bank. They are stealing
antiquities and feeding them into the Israeli antiquities market. It's [for]
private and museum collections." 

Hizmi acknowledged the Israeli law is problematic. 

"There is a dilemma here, it's true," said Hizmi. "On the one hand you can
trade in antiquities but on the other hand excavations are limited to
archaeologists and the state doesn't sell antiquities, so all the finds that
comes to the traders are illegal." 

Palestinians are demanding the return of all the archaeological finds that
Israel excavated and took from beyond the 1967 lines, as well as Jerusalem's
Rockefeller Museum, which was established during the British Mandate and
called the Palestine Museum. 

Negotiations over archaeological issues took place as part of the Oslo
Accords and are supposed to be part of the final status agreement. The
Palestinians said the Israelis promised them a list of all the artifacts
taken from the territories. The Israelis said the list is only of
archaeological sites, which has been provided.

http://www.jpost.com/