- Jan 7, 2003
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How Donald Trump Ended Up With Priceless Israeli Antiquities
After an appeal from Israel, the former president has agreed to return priceless ceramic oil lamps and coins.
www.wsj.com
“These historic items were presented by a representative of the Israeli antiquities authority with the full support of the organization,” a Trump spokesman said Wednesday, adding that the items were on loan for permanent exhibition. “As the items were displayed as originally intended, the office will be expediting their return to the organization’s representative,” he said...
...Their modern-day journey began in 2019, when Saul Fox, a private-equity executive, longtime Republican donor and backer of Israel, got a call from Israel Hasson, then head of the Israeli antiquities authority, saying he was coming to the U.S. and would like to meet him. Fox had just been invited to a Hanukkah party at the White House and suggested that Trump be presented with antiquities from Jerusalem in honor of his support for Israel. ...
...Fox, in an interview, said the State Department wanted to inspect them but didn’t return them in time for the Hanukkah celebration. “I was a little embarrassed,” he said. Several State Department officials said Wednesday that they couldn’t recall the encounter.
...Their modern-day journey began in 2019, when Saul Fox, a private-equity executive, longtime Republican donor and backer of Israel, got a call from Israel Hasson, then head of the Israeli antiquities authority, saying he was coming to the U.S. and would like to meet him. Fox had just been invited to a Hanukkah party at the White House and suggested that Trump be presented with antiquities from Jerusalem in honor of his support for Israel. ...
...Fox, in an interview, said the State Department wanted to inspect them but didn’t return them in time for the Hanukkah celebration. “I was a little embarrassed,” he said. Several State Department officials said Wednesday that they couldn’t recall the encounter.
According to Saul Fox, the items were never presented to the president at the White House as intended. They were supposed to be returned to Israel, but for reasons including the Covid travel problems, Fox hung on to them for the next few years. In 2021, he got an invitation to Mar-A-Lago around Hanukkah and decided to present the items to Trump. This seems to have been done on his own accord, without approval of the director of Israeli Antiquities. There was a note included with the items that stipulated that they were on loan and not a gift. However, no date of return was given so Fox apparently decided that the loan was for an indefinite period.
Lost Israeli antiquities said to reemerge in Trump’s Florida residence
Jerusalem sent the ancient lamps for a short White House display in 2019; nearly 4 years later, they appear to have ended up at Mar-a-Lago
www.timesofisrael.com
As much as I am disinclined to give Trump any benefit of doubt, this seems to me to be Fox's fault as the items were presented to Trump at Mar-A-Lago after he was out of office.
What an ignorant, knee-jerk response. Did you comprehend my comments?
