Jordan has asked Canada to seize the 2,000-year-old Dead Sea scrolls, on display until Sunday at the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto, invoking international law in a bid to keep the artifacts out of the hands of Israel until their disputed ownership is settled.
Even if Canada ignores the request, it will make other countries think twice before accepting the controversial exhibit.
Summoning the Canadian chargé d’affaires in Amman two weeks ago, Jordan cited the 1954 Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict, to which both Jordan and Canada are signatories, in asking Canada to take custody of the scrolls.
Jordan claims Israel acted illegally in 1967 when it took the scrolls from a museum in east Jerusalem, which Israel seized from Jordan during the Six-Day War and subsequently occupied.
While confirming that Canada has received a message from Jordan, a spokesperson for the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade said: “Differences regarding ownership of the Dead Sea scrolls should be addressed by Israel, Jordan and the Palestinian Authority. It would not be appropriate for Canada to intervene as a third party.”
While Jordan has acted only recently in asking Canada to take custody of the scrolls, the Palestinian Authority has made its position known since April, when Salam Fayyad, Prime Minister of the Palestinian Authority, wrote to Prime Minister Stephen Harper concerning what it argues is the illegal use of the scrolls.
Read more HERE
The majority of Jews in Israel are Jews from Arab countries not Eastern Europe. There is no question about their origin.
Arabs back to ARABIA!
To all Who does not know History. The Dead Sea Scrolls. were bought off an Arab Jordan Kid that fond them wen he was looking in a cave. you can google it.
In parshas lech lecha hashem tells avraham to walk through
The land and just by doing that it will belong to him and
His decendents forever!when will they realize the truth
And stop claiming that this land and that possesions
Belong to them?!this can only mean we are in the times before moshiachs coming-come on and pray
you mean they should jump in the Jordan
While the nations are busy cutting up pieces of the cake called Israel, why should its closest neighbor not ask for a piece… kol ochlov yeshamu
Jordan seized East Jerusalem from Israel in 1948 and occupied it until 1967.
Here is a link to amnesty internationals article on Jordan’s human rights, they should first invoke international law in they’re own country!
http://www.amnestyusa.org/all-countries/jordan/page.do?id=1011179
Jordan should jump in the lake.
What about human rights, is that not international law?
They should put and end to they’re ‘honor killings’, torture, and unfair trials before they start complaining about ‘old papers’!