Palestinian Minister of Culture Atef Abu Sayf

The Palestinian Minister of Culture, Atef Abu Saif, said that "the biggest threat facing heritage and antiquities in Palestine is the Israeli occupation and the thefts it carries out," adding that "the international community's silence and inability to intervene to stop this contribute to the loss of an important part of human heritage."

This came during a speech he delivered on behalf of occupied Palestine, at the UNESCO Member States' Forum of Ministers of Culture, which was launched Wednesday evening in the Mexican capital, Mexico, with the participation of 163 delegations and 131 ministers of culture from different countries of the world.

"Israel, which occupies our country, is the biggest antiquities thief in history. It steals our heritage, antiquities, and historical assets," Abu Saif said, adding, "the world has witnessed some cases where colonial powers stole antiquities, but never was there a case where the thief steals stories, narratives, and a history of a country, as is the case with "Israel". The occupation steals our antiquities, heritage and history, falsifies facts and alters archaeological assets, in order to enhance its theft of history.”

Abu Saif reminded his counterparts in the world that "weeks ago, during the [occupation's] aggression against the historic city of Nablus, the occupation forces destroyed dozens of old houses, as they do in Al-Khalil. Not only do they steal our holy places and falsify their history, but they deprive us of practicing our worship there, as the Israeli planes and battleships, during every aggression on Gaza, destroy our cultural property and archaeological sites, and no one cares about these crimes against human heritage.”

"All museums in 'Israel' are full of the assets and possessions of our ancestors, including their clothes," Abu Saif said. "During the Nakba, 'Israel' stole our heritage and inheritance along with our land."

"While we, as an international community, struggle against the illicit trade in cultural property, nothing is being done to combat 'Israel's' terrorism and organized theft of antiquities and cultural property."