Israeli auction offers rare Yemeni statue: The looting of Yemen's artifacts continues.

Recently, the curtain was lifted on one of the most prominent scandals related to the looted Yemeni antiquities. Researcher and archaeology expert Abdullah Mohsen revealed the auction of a rare Yemeni archaeological statue in Israel, scheduled to take place in Jaffa (Tel Aviv) on Wednesday, April 16, 2025.

The small bronze statue representing the figure of "Abu al-Hawl" is considered one of the ancient archaeological treasures dating back to the ancient Yemeni civilization.

The source of the statue dates back to the private collection of the late Israeli businessman Shlomo Moussaieff, born in Jerusalem in 1925 to a Jewish family from Bukhara, who moved to Britain in 1963.

Moussaieff was known for his Arabic fluency and his great interest in collecting artifacts, as his collection included over sixty thousand archaeological pieces, including hundreds of rare pieces of Yemeni origin.

This event sheds light once again on the ongoing tragedy faced by Yemen's antiquities, as looting and smuggling operations escalate amidst the ongoing conflict, with accusations exchanged between the Yemeni government and the Houthis regarding the responsibility for leaking these precious treasures abroad.

While these artifacts are lost in world auctions, many wonder about the fate of Yemen's rich heritage, systematically liquidated before the eyes and ears of the world.