Palestinian Authority Invokes Authority,,,?

The Palestinian Authority claims to represent Palestinians and their interests. Thus, has looked overseas to claim ownership of ancient scrolls written by archaic Hebrews, likely the Essenes. The scrolls are written in Hebrew. Not Arabic or Aramaic, a language nomadic tribes of the area shared; but Hebrew. They represent ancient Hebrew/Jewish texts. Their rightful ownership therefore uncontested.

But no, the Palestinian Authority has taken upon itself the opportunity to launch a diplomatic challenge to the ownership of the Dead Sea Scrolls. Claiming them to have been illegally purloined from the rightful owners, the Palestinians. They have insisted that The Royal Ontario Museum, located in downtown Toronto, where some of the ancient texts are to be on loan for an exhibition, cancel the anticipated showing.

The scrolls contain Biblical texts and the documentation of Jewish sects from the Second Temple period, discovered by a shepherd in caves near the Dead Sea around 1947. When Israel took full control of Jerusalem, including the Old City in eastern Jerusalem in the Six-Day War, the country also took re-ownership of that which would be recognized as accruing to modern-day Jewish institutions; recipients and owners of items of Jewish antiquity.

Some of the scrolls meant to be displayed at the Royal Ontario Museum from June 2009 to January 2010, include passages from Genesis, Deuteronomy, Psalms, Isaiah, the War Scroll, the Community Rule and the Messianic Apocalypse. How can it possibly be construed that these ancient artifacts do not belong in the possession of the very people whose ancestors were responsible for their manufacture?

Yet the Palestinian Authority claims ownership of the antiquities, claiming them to have been illegally purloined from "Palestinian territories". The PA has forwarded a letter to the museum and one to Prime Minister Stephen Harper claiming that should the museum proceed with its plans to mount "the biggest show the ROM has put on since its exhibition of Egyptian art from the British Museum in 2004" it would be acting in violation of international conventions.

Britain's ownership of classical Egyptian art might be called into question with respect to its acquisition and removal from Egypt, since the origin of the art was Egypt itself and as such represents valuable historical elements of the country's past. The Palestinian Authority's claim to ownership of ancient texts that ancient communities other than Israel had no claim on is preposterous at best, viciously mischievous at the very least.

Yet PA officials insist the show must be cancelled to satisfy their grievance. Reminding Canada of its international obligations, as though Canada requires such a reminder from the PA whose direct links to Fatah-inspired and -affiliated terror groups, the ongoing dehumanization of their Jewish neighbours and encouragement of violent 'resistance' places them in a questionable category of 'international obligations'.

Unsurprisingly, the Israel Antiquities Authority responds, "We are the custodians of the Dead Sea Scrolls. As such we have a right to exhibit them and to conserve them." Those same antiquities that have been displayed under the same Authority in many other countries. Never before has anything remotely resembling such an objection been raised.

The very antiquities that were denied Jewish possession when Jordan had control of east Jerusalem and Jews were not permitted entry to their most holy ancestral sites. They have simply returned home to their lawful and historically accurate owners.