PA daily refers to Israel as “the territories occupied in ‘48”
Headline: "Bethlehem police discovers international network for smuggling antiquities, spread over Jordan, West Bank, and '48 [territories – i.e., Israel]"
"The Bethlehem police has discovered an international network for smuggling and disseminating of antiquities, spread over Jordan, the West Bank, and the '48 territories (i.e., Israel). It has apprehended suspects after setting a trap…
An announcement released yesterday by the public relations administration of the police stated that the tourism and antiquities police had received information according to which a group of people was planning to smuggle and disseminate valuable archaeological items. The announcement added that the police had started investigating and gathering information about a month ago, until it succeeded in catching the suspects, after placing a trap for them two days ago. Nineteen ancient metal coins from different periods were seized, as well as a Palestinian lira banknote; a black stamp in the form of a ball with an engraving of cupid, believed to be an archaeological artifact from the Hellenistic period; and an ancient coin with an engraving of a menorah. In addition, the seize included a rare bronze sculpture 26 cm long and 5 cm wide of a woman standing with open arms, with a crown on her head and an earring in one of her ears. Its age is estimated at 3,000 years, and it is worth about $50,000. A manuscript on deerskin, in ancient Hebrew script, measuring 17x33 cm over two folios, was also seized. Its content, source, and period have not yet been ascertained.
Commander of the tourism and antiquities police in Bethlehem, Ziyad Al-Khatib… said: 'During the investigation, the suspects confessed that they had obtained several archaeological artifacts from a neighboring country, and one of them brought them in via Jordan. They also tried to bring them in via the territories occupied in '48, and smuggled them into the West Bank.' … This operation is part of a campaign to fight the trade in antiquities and to protect our people's cultural and historical heritage."
"The Bethlehem police has discovered an international network for smuggling and disseminating of antiquities, spread over Jordan, the West Bank, and the '48 territories (i.e., Israel). It has apprehended suspects after setting a trap…
An announcement released yesterday by the public relations administration of the police stated that the tourism and antiquities police had received information according to which a group of people was planning to smuggle and disseminate valuable archaeological items. The announcement added that the police had started investigating and gathering information about a month ago, until it succeeded in catching the suspects, after placing a trap for them two days ago. Nineteen ancient metal coins from different periods were seized, as well as a Palestinian lira banknote; a black stamp in the form of a ball with an engraving of cupid, believed to be an archaeological artifact from the Hellenistic period; and an ancient coin with an engraving of a menorah. In addition, the seize included a rare bronze sculpture 26 cm long and 5 cm wide of a woman standing with open arms, with a crown on her head and an earring in one of her ears. Its age is estimated at 3,000 years, and it is worth about $50,000. A manuscript on deerskin, in ancient Hebrew script, measuring 17x33 cm over two folios, was also seized. Its content, source, and period have not yet been ascertained.
Commander of the tourism and antiquities police in Bethlehem, Ziyad Al-Khatib… said: 'During the investigation, the suspects confessed that they had obtained several archaeological artifacts from a neighboring country, and one of them brought them in via Jordan. They also tried to bring them in via the territories occupied in '48, and smuggled them into the West Bank.' … This operation is part of a campaign to fight the trade in antiquities and to protect our people's cultural and historical heritage."