Jordan on Monday filed a complaint with the the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), demanding that Israel surrender to it the Dead Sea Scrolls. Jordan claims that Israel stole the scrolls from a Jerusalem museum in 1967. Last week, the Jordanian government asked Canada to seize some of the scrolls that are currently on display in a Toronto museum.
Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman Yigal Palmor said that Jordan's claims were "ridiculous. The Dead Sea Scrolls are an intrinsic part of Jewish heritage and religion. The scrolls have no relation to Jordan or the Jordanian people," said Palmor, adding that "Jordan's occupation of the West Bank was never recognized by the international community and the kingdom relinquished all claims on the territories. On what grounds are they trying to lay claims to the scrolls, which are a cornerstone of Jewish cultural history?"