Israel probes legality of US giving artifact to Palestinians

BETHLEHEM, West Bank (AP) — Israel’s ultranationalist heritage minister has ordered officials to examine the legality of the U.S. government’s historic repatriation of an artifact to the Palestinian Authority. The artifact — a 2,700-year-old ivory cosmetic spoon — is believed to have been plundered from a site in the occupied West Bank. It was seized in late 2021 by the Manhattan District Attorney’s office as part of a deal with the New York billionaire hedge fund manager Michael Steinhardt. The Palestinians say the artifact is part of their cultural heritage. Israeli Heritage Minister Amihai Eliyahu’s office said last week that the legality of the repatriation “is being examined.” The case brings into focus the political sensitivities surrounding archaeology in the Middle East.