Ofer Kasif, a member of the Israeli Knesset from the Arab Front for Change, commented on the intention of the Israeli authorities to exhibit artifacts found in the Valley of the Degrees, calling it a violation of international law.
In a letter to the director of the Antiquities Authority, Eli Escusido, Kasif said, “Because Israel occupied these lands in 1967, the antiquities in the occupied territories are not the property of Israel.”
In his statement, he added that: “According to international agreements (which Israel has signed), the movement of these items outside the occupied territories to the Green Line and their display in the city of Modiin, located within its borders, is contrary to international agreements prohibiting their export from occupied territories.”
MK Kassif stressed that “inviting the public to excavate in the occupied territories also violates the law and even jeopardizes it.”
Kasif called for an end to this practice and to act appropriately with what is expected of the government, in accordance with Israeli and international law, as well as in accordance with ethical standards and professionalism.
Source: RT