Activists described it as a theft.. The Jewish "Easter" manuscripts return to Turkey after an Israeli rescue team took them from a synagogue in Antioch

A controversy arose on social media regarding "Jewish archaeological manuscripts" called "Easter scrolls", which were transported by a rescue team to Israel from a synagogue damaged in the devastating earthquake in Antakya (southern Turkey), before they were later returned to the Jewish community in Turkey.

Accounts on social media circulated pictures of the Israeli rescue team transferring historical Jewish manuscripts from Antioch to Israel under the pretext of "protecting" them, but they were later returned to Istanbul.

And Israeli media had said that the Israeli rescue team was working in Antakya, Turkey, and was helping the victims of the devastating earthquake that struck the country two weeks ago.

Archaeological manuscripts

And the newspaper "Yedioth Ahronoth" stated that an elderly man - whose name was not revealed - met the volunteer in the Israeli rescue team, Haim Otmazgin, and handed him the historical manuscripts, saying that he had found them in the synagogue that was destroyed by the earthquake, adding that he was "afraid that they might fall into the wrong hands," asking The Israeli team "protected".

For his part, Rabbi Mendy Chitrik published pictures of receiving the manuscripts, commenting, "The ancient scrolls of the Easter Book that survived the earthquake and were brought to Israel were returned to the Chief Rabbinate in Istanbul."

The Chief Rabbinate responded to a question about the scrolls, by saying, "The Easter scroll was received from Israel, and it is preserved in our Chief Rabbinate. It will return to its place in Antioch after the renovation of our synagogue."

The manuscript was kept in an old synagogue in Antakya (communication sites)

The Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism also issued a statement stating that "artifacts belonging to all kinds of beliefs and cultures that have existed within the borders of our country for centuries will continue to be carefully preserved within these lands," noting that the synagogue will be restored and opened for worship to the citizens of Antakya.

"We will restore the synagogue of Antioch with all the damaged monuments so that work can be resumed in it as soon as possible, and we will reopen it for our citizens to worship in Antakya," the statement added.

And it confirmed in the same statement that "all allegations related to the evaluation of the manuscripts have been thoroughly investigated by the Anti-Smuggling Department, and the process is being dealt with in coordination with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs."

The Israeli rescue and relief team that worked in Turkey claimed that there was a danger to its work in the area near the Syrian border, and quickly withdrew the team and its equipment after only a few days of work.

Accusations of theft of manuscripts

The manuscripts transferred from Turkey to Israel sparked controversy through Turkish and Arab platforms, and bloggers saw that what happened to them was a "theft that requires accountability and accountability," while activists described the matter as a "scandal and theft," and accused the members of the Israeli team of being "thieves."

Activist Serkan Narges - from the Turkish Humanitarian Relief Foundation, wrote on his Twitter page: "The search and rescue team from Israel took the historical manuscripts directly from Antakya, before they started working on the wreckage. The manuscripts that were taken were returned to Israel after the Jewish community refused. Turkish men officially participated in the smuggling of historical artifacts.

The "boycott" account on Twitter commented, "The occupation, which recognized the scandal, and tried to justify it with a failed dramatic scenario, announced the return of the manuscript to Turkey."

While writer and political analyst Yasser Al-Zaatara tweeted, "They were thieves and they will remain."

As for the Palestinian activist, Adham Abu Selmiya, he tweeted on his Twitter account, "A resounding scandal... The Zionist rescue mission that came to Turkey came with the aim of theft, as it stole biblical manuscripts from Antioch, and after discovering their affairs and under Turkish pressure they returned them... they stole a homeland and a people, so will it be far from them theft?" Manuscript?! But is there anyone preaching?!”