Israel returns 22 ancient artefacts to Greece in first such handover
Israel handed 22 ancient artefacts to Greece at an Athens museum on Tuesday. Greece's culture minister called it the first Israeli return of antiquities to Greece.
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The story, neutrally told
Mixed · 2Israel returned 22 ancient artefacts to Greece on Tuesday 13 October, in a handover at the National Archaeological Museum in Athens. Arab NewsRC “Israel on Tuesday returned to Greece 22 “illegally removed” ancient vases, drinking vessels and a statue” Read at Arab News ↗ Al JazeeraLC “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.” Read at Al Jazeera ↗ Mixed · 2Israel's ambassador in Athens, Pninat Yanay, handed over the items, which Israel Antiquities Authority investigators had seized; Yanay said the authority's Theft Prevention Unit located them. Arab NewsRC “They were handed over by Israel’s ambassador in Athens, Pninat Yanay.” Read at Arab News ↗ Al JazeeraLC “The Israel Antiquities Authority’s Theft Prevention Unit had located the items” Read at Al Jazeera ↗ Mixed · 2Al Jazeera says the collection comprises 15 Attic vases, six Corinthian vases and a bronze female statuette, dated between 700 BC and 320 BC; AFP, carried by Arab News, says they mainly date to the fifth and sixth centuries BC. Al JazeeraLC “The collection includes 15 Attic vases, six Corinthian vases, and a bronze female statuette.” Read at Al Jazeera ↗ Arab NewsRC “The artefacts mainly date to the fifth and sixth centuries BC” Read at Arab News ↗
Mixed · 2Greek Culture Minister Lina Mendoni said it was the first time Israel had returned antiquities to Greece and marked the start of closer cooperation on protecting cultural heritage, adding that every restitution has a "symbolic and moral dimension". Al JazeeraLC ““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,”” Read at Al Jazeera ↗ Arab NewsRC “every restitution of a cultural object to its place of origin carried a broader symbolic and moral dimension.” Read at Arab News ↗ Left · 1Yanay said the return created "the conditions for further strengthening cooperation between Greece and Israel". Al JazeeraLC “created “the conditions for further strengthening cooperation between Greece and Israel”” Read at Al Jazeera ↗ Left · 1Greek and Israeli officials gave no details on Tuesday of how the items were found in Israel or how they were removed from Greece. Al JazeeraLC “Greek and Israeli officials did not provide details on Tuesday on how the artefacts were discovered in Israel or the circumstances surrounding their illegal removal from Greece.” Read at Al Jazeera ↗
Right · 1AFP placed the handover against Greece's campaign to recover the Parthenon Marbles from the British Museum; it noted Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said last week they could feature in any talks on closer UK-EU relations. Arab NewsRC “The handover in an Athens museum was staged as Greece steps up a campaign to secure the return of sculptures taken from the Acropolis.”“Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said last week that the marbles could be a part of any negotiations about closer relations between Britain and the European Union.” Read at Arab News ↗ Left · 1Al Jazeera instead set it within closer Greek-Israeli ties, noting energy and defence cooperation and a $3.5bn air defence deal, called the Achilles Shield, signed in August. Al JazeeraLC “In August, Israel signed a $3.5bn defence deal to build a multi-layered air defence system in Greece, called the Achilles Shield.” Read at Al Jazeera ↗
Every sentence links to the reporting it rests on. The pill in front of each says where its sources sit: Left, Centre or Right when one side supplies at least half of them, Mixed when they are evenly split. The number is how many outlets it cites.
Left1 outlet
- Framing
- Al Jazeera presents a cultural exchange amid strengthening Greek-Israeli ties, with the defence deal as context.
- Emphasis
- Inventory of the objects, the lack of detail on how they were found, and energy and defence cooperation.
- Leaves out or plays down
- Does not mention the Parthenon Marbles campaign.
- Charged language
- “stolen”
- For example
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“a cultural exchange that comes as the two countries strengthen ties.” — Al Jazeera
“It is the largest defence deal between the two countries” — Al Jazeera
Centre0 outlets
No centre outlet in our sources has covered this story yet.
Right1 outlet
- Framing
- Arab News, running AFP copy, frames the handover as part of Greece's wider restitution push over the Parthenon Marbles.
- Emphasis
- Mendoni's statement on significance and the Acropolis sculptures dispute with Britain.
- Leaves out or plays down
- Does not mention Israel-Greece defence and energy ties or the item breakdown.
- Charged language
- “illegally removed”
- For example
-
“The handover in an Athens museum was staged as Greece steps up a campaign to secure the return of sculptures taken from the Acropolis.” — Arab News
What every side reports
- Israel returned 22 ancient artefacts to Greece on Tuesday in Athens.
- Pninat Yanay, Israel's ambassador, was involved in the handover and Lina Mendoni received it for Greece.
- Mendoni said it was the first time Israel had returned antiquities to Greece and marks the start of closer cultural-heritage cooperation.
Where accounts differ
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Dating of the artefacts
- Left
- Al Jazeera: dated between 700 BC and 320 BC.
- Right
- AFP via Arab News: mainly fifth and sixth centuries BC.
Lina Mendoni person
Mendoni called the return of particular significance, the first by Israel, and the start of closer cooperation on cultural heritage.
““The return of these 22 antiquities from Israel to our country today is of particular significance,” Mendoni said in a statement.” — Arab News
““It is the first time that Israel has returned antiquities to Greece” — Al Jazeera
Israel place
Israel, through ambassador Yanay, said its Antiquities Authority located the items and that the return supports further cooperation with Greece.
“The Israel Antiquities Authority’s Theft Prevention Unit had located the items, Pninat Yanay, Israel’s ambassador to Greece, said.” — Al Jazeera
Left1 article
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Israel returns 22 stolen ancient artefacts to Greece
Neutral Reports the return as a cultural exchange amid growing Greek-Israeli defence and energy ties, noting missing details on the items' origin.
Centre0 articles
No coverage yet.
Right1 article
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Arab NewsRC · · via AFP
Israel returns 22 ancient artefacts to Greece
Neutral AFP wire copy reporting the handover with Mendoni's quotes and the Parthenon Marbles context.
- 13 Oct 17:42 First Arab NewsRC Israel returns 22 ancient artefacts to Greece via AFP
- 14 Oct 04:23 +10h 41m Al JazeeraLC Israel returns 22 stolen ancient artefacts to Greece
Times are when each article was published, or when we first saw it if the outlet gave no time.
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