Historic handover: Israel returns 22 stolen Hellenic antiquities to Greece in first-ever repatriation

Israel has officially returned 22 ancient Greek artifacts to Athens in a historic, first-of-its-kind repatriation between the two nations.

The priceless objects—primarily pottery dating from the 8th to 4th centuries BCE featuring mythological scenes and burial customs—were initially seized during a 2020 investigation by the Israel Antiquities Authority into illicit antiquities trafficking.

Greek Minister of Culture Lina Mendoni accepted the objects from the Israeli Antiquities Authority at a ceremony held 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.”

The collection includes 15 Attic vases, six Corinthian vases, and a bronze female statuette.

The objects are dated between 700 BC and 320 BC.

Yanay said the return of the antiquities created “the conditions for further strengthening cooperation between Greece and Israel”.

The formal handover took place at the National Archaeological Museum in Athens, attended by senior officials including Greek Culture Minister Lina Mendoni and Israeli Ambassador Pninat Yanay.

Officials emphasized that the successful recovery underscores a growing alliance against international art smuggling networks.

Both nations are now moving to deepen cooperation through a forthcoming memorandum of understanding dedicated to safeguarding shared Mediterranean cultural heritage assets.

In August, Israel signed a $3.5bn defence deal to build a multi-layered air defence system in Greece, called the Achilles Shield.

It is the largest defence deal between the two countries, and one of the most significant export agreements in Israel’s recent history.