100,000 Antique Pieces are smuggled to Israel Annually

Ramallah, February 08, 2010, SPA -- The Department of Palestinian Antiquities
has disclosed that about 100,000 Palestinian Antique Pieces are smuggled to
Israel annually.


Informed sources said the smuggling of Antique Pieces takes place through
mediators from the occupied Palestinian territories and the neighboring
countries.


Hamdan Taha, the Assistant Under Secretary of the Palestinian Ministry of
Tourism and Antiquities, said about 85 percent of the Palestinian Antiquities
are smuggled to Israel, adding that about 100,000 Antique Pieces are smuggled
from the Palestinian territories to Israel annually.


He severely criticized trading in the cultural heritage of the Palestinians.


--SPA