Ever since the Palestinian people were invented in the late mid-to-late 1960s, they have been laying claim to an ancient lineage in “Palestine” – direct descent from the Jebusites and other Canaanite tribes that preceded the Jews in the land the Jews call Eretz Israel. It’s nonsense, of course. The Palestinians are Arabs and Muslims, and Muslim Arabs did not appear in the area until the mid-seventh century A.D. But that won’t stop Mahmoud Abbas from insisting that the Palestinian Arabs descend from the non-Arab Jebusites.
Recently, in returning an ancient Jewish artifact, dating from 800-700 B.C.E. to the Palestinians, the credulous Biden administration lent credence to the Palestinian tale of its ancient presence in the land. More on the story is here: “Biden Joins Campaign To Erase Jewish Historical Ties To Israel,” by Daled Amos, Elder of Ziyon, February 14, 2023:
According to a press release from the Manhattan DA’s office:
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin L. Bragg, Jr., today announced the repatriation of an ivory cosmetic spoon dating back to approximately 800-700 B.C.E to the Palestinian Authority, marking the first time a cultural object has been returned to the Palestinian people from the United States…
The cultural object in question dates from 1500 years before a single Muslim Arab was in “Palestine.” The ivory cosmetic spoon was made by a craftsman belonging to the people who then lived in the land – the Jews. It was found in Hebron, an entirely Jewish city at the time, and one of the four sacred cities – Jerusalem, Hebron, Tiberias, Safed – of Judaism.
We are proud to join our law enforcement and government partners in this moment. It is impossible to put a value on the cultural and historical significance of looted antiquities and I thank our talented team of attorneys and investigators who are continuing their incredible work of returning these objects to where they rightfully belong,” said District Attorney Bragg.
“Rightfully belong”? The “incredible work of returning these objects to where they rightfully belong”? What is Alvin Bragg talking about? What is the “cultural and historical significance” of this ivory spoon for the Palestinians today, given that it dates from 1500 years before there was a single Muslim Arab in the area renamed “Palestine” by the Romans? For them, it has no cultural or historical significance, but it does have political importance, for the transfer of the spoon to the Palestinians by the Americans will be used by them to meretriciously convince the world that the Palestinian presence in the land dates back, at least, to 800-700 B.C. They now have, after all, those bizarre, and historically absurd, declarations by American officials, such as New York D.A. Alvin Bragg, that the ivory spoon has now been returned to where it “rightfully belongs.”
As Johanna Markind pointed out at Legal Insurrection:
American law calls for repatriation of certain artifacts to Indian tribes, if “the requesting Indian tribe or Native Hawaiian organization can show that the object was owned or controlled by the Indian tribe or Native Hawaiian organization.” That is, the Smithsonian would return a qualified Cheyenne artifact to the Cheyenne tribe. It would not return a Cheyenne artifact to, say, the Pawnee.
According to the law, then, the artifact should have been returned to Israel. But that would have been a problem. After all, the spoon was originally looted from Hebron, so returning it to Israel would amount to admitting the Jewish ties to that area.
What convinced so many American officials that they should not return the ivory spoon found in Hebron to the Israeli government? Could all of them have been so credulous as to believe the Palestine tall tale about their descent from the Jebusites? Or were they dead set on doing nothing that might support the ancient Jewish connection to Hebron, the second city of of Judaism, and the site of the Cave of the Patriarchs?
So instead, we are treated to an onslaught of government officials publically supporting the Palestinian Arabs in fabricating an imaginary history:
o Ivan J. Arvelo, a special agent in charge of US Homeland Security Investigations in New York, described the transfer of the spoon to the PA as a “historic repatriation”
The transfer of the spoon is “historic,“ all right, but not in the way that Ivan J. Arvelo thinks. This public endorsement of turning over a precious artifact not to its rightful owner, the State of Israel, but to the mortal enemy of the State of Israel, the Palestinian Authority, should be a cause for public outrage. But few are paying attention to this “historic repatriation.” It would be helpful if Congressional Republicans were to demand public hearings on this travesty of a transfer that plays so fast and loose with the truth.
o George Noll, head of the US Office of Palestinian Affairs, described the spoon as “an example of Palestinian cultural patrimony.”
How can George Noll say this with a straight face? How does this ivory cosmetic spoon, made by a Jewish craftsman, in what was the Jewish city of Hebron, some 1500 years before any Arabs arrived, constitute “an example of Palestinian cultural patrimony”?
o DHS official, Jeff Brannigan, claimed that, “This repatriation is representative of HSI’s commitment to ensuring the storied heritages of peoples around the world through the preservation and protection of cultural artifacts.”
Jeff Brannigan is just as absurd in his remarks as George Knoll. He hails this “repatriation” as a splendid example of the American government’s “commitment to ensuring the storied heritages of peoples around the world.” Whose “storied heritage”? Let’s repeat the obvious point yet again: On what basis can he, or anyone else, claim that the ivory spoon, dating from 800-700 B.C., is part of the Palestinian Arabs,’ “storied heritage,” when they only arrived in the area 1500 years after that particular spoon had been carved in Hebron by a Jewish artisan?
What now can be done? The spoon won’t be returned to Israel. It will instead be given pride of place in the Birzeit Museum of Palestinian History, no doubt placed in the panorama depicting their “ancestors” the Jebusites.
That Jebusite Spoon will be described thus:
“Ivory Spoon,” 800-700 B.C.E. Believed to be the work of Jebusite ancestors of the Palestinian people. Repatriated to its rightful owners, the Palestinians, by the American government, after having been stolen by Jews from the Palestinian city of Hebron and sold to a Jewish billionaire collector.
American officials have stated that “this repatriation is representative of the Homeland Security Investigations’ commitment to ensuring the storied heritages of peoples around the world through the preservation and protection of cultural artifacts.” “We are glad that this beautiful spoon, a testament to Palestinian creativity, is now back where everyone knows that it belongs.”
The damage done to History and the Truth, by this intolerable repatriation of an ancient Jewish artifact to the Palestinians, is considerable. The Palestinians will proclaim to the world that even the Americans have legitimized their claim to having descended from the Jebusites in “Palestine” – for why else would the Americans have insisted that the spoon be “repatriated” to them? It would be good if the professional societies of archeologists were to express their dismay over this travesty, and to ask the Biden administration to explain how that ivory spoon could possibly have had anything to do with the Palestinians, given that it was made 15 centuries before the arrival of a single Arab in the Holy Land. What can the Bidenites reply? They have made fools of themselves and helped to spread a Palestinian lie. Archeologists worldwide, and the general public in America, should be unforgiving.
commonsense says
While it is indeed outrageous that this item has been given to the Palestinians, it does not look like a Jewish/Hebrew artifact. There are no features that are typical of Jewish craftsmanship – no discernible Hebrew letters, for example. Frankly, it looks Assyrian.
Goldmann says
There is no such place as the “west bank”. 🙄
࿗Infidel࿘ says
So are the Palis now claiming that they are the Philistines who were trounced by King David?
somehistory says
The “trouncing” included a heck of a lot of things done to those philistines. Perhaps abbas sees himself as a goliath. mozlums get everything wrong, backwards, and confused; so perhaps abbas believes goliath didn’t lose his head by the hand of a young boy, wielding the dead guy’s own sword.
somehistory says
“historical significance of looted antiquities”
They are still being “looted.” Much like when a corrupt cop takes stollen merchandise from the locked room full of the evidence of crimes.
Devasur says
In India muslims claim to be ancient Indians by destroying ancient Indian artifact’s and places.
They claim hindus are british invention lol.
Same old tactics of muzzies.
Devasur says
Recently a Maulana claimed Islam is not foreign to India and Adam was from india LoL.
They will lie to any extent to lay claim on the country they want to conquer.
࿗Infidel࿘ says
No, they actually believe this crap. See the Jaipur Dialogues video on this: as Sanjay Dixit noted, they believe that everybody is born muslim, and then led astray by their evil parents & family members
Always remember one thing: logic and facts are haram in islam!
libertyORdeath says
I thought that leftists were opposed to cultural appropriation?
Apparently not when it comes to their soon-to-be muslim overlords.
brenrod says
I blame Israel for not facilitating Jews rights in Jewish holy places and facilitating Muslim myths by accommodating them and by allowing the euronazis to aid and abet their Muslim proxies, whom they fund, in their serial and continuing murder and thefts of Jews. Even stalking the Jews they murdered in europe back to the Jewish homeland to have their Muslim proxies continue their foul work.
brenrod says
Why should I be surprised, after all Biden is funding PA to murder Jewish children.
Scotsman48 says
That wee Nazi prick, Herr Goebbels famously stated…
Tell a lie, tell a big one and tell it often and it will become truth by itself…
This is exactly what the USA MSM and their moron in chief is doing today.
An artifact ”returned” to a people that did not even exist in the time the artifact was made..
Ya cant make this stuff anymore.