Israel returns 22 Greek antiquities seized in 2020 investigation

Culture Minister Lina Mendoni received the objects from the Israel Antiquities Authority and Amir Ganor, director of its theft prevention division, at the National Archaeological Museum in Athens. "It is the first time that Israel has returned antiquities to Greece, marking the starting point of closer cooperation between the two countries for the protection of cultural heritage," Mendoni said. "Every return of a cultural object to its place of origin has a broader symbolic and moral dimension." Israeli Ambassador to Greece Pninat Yanay said removing an ancient object from its original setting interrupts the historical narrative it carries. "Today, that story can continue," she said.

What was returned

The collection includes 15 Attic vessels, six vases from Corinthian workshops and one small bronze statuette of a woman, the Jerusalem Post reported. Of the Attic vessels, 11 are black-figure, three red-figure and one black-glazed. The pottery is provisionally dated to between about 700 BC and 320 BC, the Associated Press reported. Some pieces carry motifs influenced by ancient Near Eastern art, Ynetnews reported.

The Jerusalem Post reported that the authenticity of the bronze statuette requires further investigation.

Seized in a 2020 raid in central Israel

The Israel Antiquities Authority's Theft Prevention Unit, Israel Police and Israel Tax Authority seized the antiquities in 2020 during a joint investigation into illegal antiquities trafficking, Ynetnews reported. Investigators raided a gallery, warehouses and apartments in the Gush Dan area around Tel Aviv and found thousands of archaeological objects from Israel and other countries. The 22 Greek pieces, part of that haul, were confiscated through Israeli legal proceedings and identified for repatriation. Greek and Israeli officials did not disclose the circumstances in which the objects were removed from Greece, the Associated Press reported.

Amir Ganor, director of the theft prevention unit, said: "Illegal antiquities trafficking recognizes no borders, neither legal borders nor national borders." He said the trade provides cover for terrorism financing and organized crime and a means of money laundering.

About a month before the ceremony, representatives of the unit and Greece's antiquities police took part in a joint international enforcement workshop on sharing intelligence, identifying objects suspected of being looted and tracing smuggling routes, the Jerusalem Post reported.

Athens presses for returns

Athens is broadening bilateral cultural ties as part of its campaign to secure the return of the Parthenon Marbles, the Associated Press reported. The 2,500-year-old sculptures were removed from the Acropolis and are displayed at the British Museum in London.

Mendoni said she discussed expanding cultural cooperation with Israeli Culture and Sports Minister Miki Zohar in Jerusalem in March 2025, and that the return was a practical expression of that commitment. The two countries expect to sign a memorandum of understanding on cultural heritage protection, the Jerusalem Post reported. Yanay said the return created "the conditions for further strengthening cooperation between Greece and Israel."