The Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported on Sunday, May 22nd that they returned to Egypt two ancient artifacts which had been brought to Israel illegally. The two artifacts are reportedly mummy covers, and date back to the days of the Pharoahs.
The Israeli news site Ynetnews reported that the two covers were confiscated four years ago by the Israel Antiquities Authority, after people were attempting to smuggle them into Europe.
“MFA Director General Dr. Dore Gold expressed the hope that the handing over of these ancient items can be a precursor to further bilateral cooperation in the field of historical heritage, as well as in other fields of mutual interest, to the benefit of both countries,” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ press release read.
Egypt-Israel relations have been mostly good since Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi came to power in June 2014. In a speech on May 17th, Sisi heralded relations between the two countries, while also calling for renewed efforts to achieve peace in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
--AL
