Donald Trump To Return Ancient Israeli Artifacts Housed At Mar-A-Lago Residence

Former President Donald Trump has agreed to return ancient artifacts housed at his Mar-a-Lago residence to Israel.

These items, which include a set of ancient coins and ceramic oil lamps, were sent to the U.S. by Israel in 2019 for a Hanukah event at the White House. However, they ended up at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate and have been there since December 2021, The Guardian reports.

Background: The artifacts were initially meant to be displayed at the 2019 Hanukah event and then returned to Israel. However, the U.S. State Department prevented their display over concerns they may have been taken from the occupied West Bank.

The artifacts arrived at Mar-a-Lago when Saul Fox, a donor of the GOP, gave them to Trump during a Hanukah party in 2021 at Mar-a-Lago.

These items were given to Fox for safekeeping because the Covid-19 pandemic caused delays in getting them back to Israel. The Israel Antiquities Authority didn’t want to risk sending them through a shipping company. Fox, however, misunderstood and thought that these items were a permanent gift to Trump.

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Return of the Artifacts: "As the items were displayed as originally intended, the office will be expediting their return to the organization's representative," a Trump spokesman, Steven Cheung, told the Times.

The Israel Antiquities Authority confirmed that it had "no claims against Mr Donald Trump" and that officials from both the U.S. and Israel are "working together to return the objects to their proper home."

This incident comes amidst a series of legal challenges faced by Trump, including a 37-count indictment filed against him by the Justice Department regarding his handling of classified documents at his Mar-A-Lago residence.

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