Annette Nagar from the Israel Antiquities Authority shows an oil lamp tool as she stands in an ancient Byzantine church dating from 1,500 years ago discovered during an archaeological rescue excavation near Jerusalem, June 10, 2015. (Photo/JTA-Yonatan Sindel-Flash90)
Annette Nagar from the Israel Antiquities Authority shows an oil lamp tool as she stands in an ancient Byzantine church dating from 1,500 years ago discovered during an archaeological rescue excavation near Jerusalem, June 10, 2015. (Photo/JTA-Yonatan Sindel-Flash90)

Trump to return ancient oil lamps to Israel

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WASHINGTON (JTA) — Donald Trump says he will return a set of ancient oil lamps to the Israel Antiquities Authority.

“These historic items were presented by a representative of the Israeli antiquities authority with the full support of the organization,” the Wall Street Journal quoted an unidentified Trump spokesman as saying. “As the items were displayed as originally intended, the office will be expediting their return to the organization’s representative.”

The announcement, published on Thursday, came after a revelation this week in Haaretz that the Israel Antiquities Authority had been asking for the return of the lamps for months, to no avail. Saul Fox, the Jewish Republican donor who gave Trump the priceless items, told the Journal that he believes that the items were meant to be in Trump’s custody permanently.

Fox, who is based in California and is also a major donor to the Israel Antiquities Authority, said that he originally asked the authority to present Trump with the lamps at the White House Hanukkah party in 2019 to thank him for his Israel policies. The State Department needed to first vet the set of six lamps, Fox said, and they were not ready in time for the party.

Ron Kampeas

Ron Kampeas is the D.C. bureau chief at the Jewish Telegraphic Agency.