Ancient Israeli artifacts that were briefly sent to the United States four years ago to be displayed at a White House event have arrived at Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, according to reports. Guardianciting Haaretz.

Donald Trump established his residence in Mar-a-Lago after the end of his presidencyPhoto: MediaPunch / Shutterstock Editorial / Profimedia

The Israeli daily Haaretz reported on Tuesday that the antiquities, including ancient ceramic lamps that are part of Israel’s collection of national treasures, were sent to Washington, D.C., with the permission of then-director of the Israel Antiquities Authority, Israel Hasson, for use in an event related to with Hanukkah, at the White House in December 2019, when Trump was in office.

In the end, the oil lamps were not put on display due to US fears that they could be taken out of the Israeli-occupied West Bank, Haaretz reported. The Antiquities Authority tried to return the chandeliers with the help of a special courier, but the whole plan was derailed by the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic in early 2020. The pandemic has resulted in artifacts being “stuck” in the U.S. because officials didn’t want to risk using regular transportation to bring the treasures back.

Israeli officials recently learned that the antiquities had finally arrived at the former president’s Florida estate after an FBI raid on the residence revealed boxes full of classified documents that had been stored in bathrooms and other areas of the home after being improperly removed from the White House. , when Trump left office. .

It’s unclear how the artifacts got to Mar-a-Lago or whether Trump knows they’re on the property. Haaretz reports that efforts by senior Israeli officials to return the national treasures have so far failed.

The current director of the Israel Antiquities Authority, Eli Escozido, said he contacted Israel’s Foreign Ministry, Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer and former US Ambassador to Israel David Friedman, asking for their help in returning the items from Mara Lago, but without success.

On Tuesday, an Israeli official called the whole situation a “misunderstanding” and said the antiquities authority “woke up too late” on the issue.