Ileana Ros-Lehtinen and Steve Israel Demand US Return Artifacts to Iraqi Jewish Community

U.S. Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, R-Fla., the chairwoman of the Middle East and North Africa House Subcommittee, reached out across the aisle to work with U.S. Rep. Steve Israel, D-N.Y., to demand historical items currently on display at the National Archives be returned to the Jewish community in Iraq. These items had been found by American and allied forces in Iraq and sent to the United States for repair and preservation. Ros-Lehtinen and Israel sent a letter to U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry on Wednesday to request the artifacts be returned to the Jewish community instead of the Iraqi government.

Im pleased to join my colleague Steve in urging Secretary Kerry and the State Department to return these ancient Jewish artifacts to their rightful owners, said Ros-Lehtinen. The Iraqi government has absolutely no right or legitimate claim to these artifacts. These communal, religious and personal items were left behind in a temple in Baghdad to be safeguarded as the vast majority of Jews were forced to flee Iraq due to rampant persecution, harassment and anti-Semitic hatred, only to see them stolen by Saddam Hussein and his thugs. Once thought to be lost and gone forever, we now have a remarkable opportunity to restore a piece of an ancient Jewish communitys collective memory. Its imperative that we preserve the history of the Jewish community of Iraq so that future generations will always remember their ancestors experiences and historical contributions. It would be criminal for the U.S. government to be complicit in denying the Jewish community what is rightfully theirs.

I am grateful that these artifacts, which represent the rich and vibrant Jewish community that once existed in Iraq, have been restored, Rep. Israel said. However, I do not believe that we should send these treasures back to the Iraqi government. Thats why Im working with my colleague, Representative Ros-Lehtinen, to urge the U.S. government to facilitate a process by which we can return the artifacts to their rightful owners or their owners descendants.