RSS
FBI Returns Nazi-Looted Monet Artwork to Heirs of Original Jewish Owners After More Than 80 Years
Claude Monet’s pastel on paper, “Bord de Mer.” Photo: Federal Bureau of Investigation/Handout via REUTERS
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) announced on Thursday that a Claude Monet artwork stolen by Nazis during World War II has been returned to the heirs of its original Jewish owners, who have been searching for the artwork for more than 80 years.
The FBI’s Art Crime Team, the FBI’s New York and New Orleans field offices, and the US Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Louisiana collaborated in returning Monet’s pastel on paper “Bord de Mer”(circa 1865) to the heirs of Adalbert “Bela” and Hilda Parlagi. The Palagi family purchased the artwork at an Austrian art auction in 1936 and it was part of the family’s art collection.
When the Parlagis fled Nazi-occupied Austria in 1938 they stored their belongings in a warehouse, but their property was seized by the Nazis in 1940. The Monet piece was later bought at an auction by a Nazi art dealer and its whereabouts became unknown in 1941.
The FBI launched an investigation into “Bird de Mer” in 2021 after receiving information from the Commission for Looted Art in Europe about the Nazi-looted artwork. When the Monet piece was listed for sale at a Houston-based art gallery in 2023, special agents of the FBI’s Art Crime Team and detectives from FBI New York’s Major Theft Task Force contacted the owners of the artwork, Kevin and Bridget Vita Schlamp, and explained the piece’s Nazi-related history.
The Schlamps, who did not previously know about the artwork’s ties to the Nazis, voluntarily surrendered the piece.
“While this Monet is undoubtedly valuable, its true worth lies in what it represents to the Parlagi family,” said James Dennehy, assistant director in charge of the FBI in New York City. “It’s a connection to their history, their loved ones, and a legacy that was nearly erased. The emotions tied to reclaiming something taken so brutally can’t be measured in dollars—it’s priceless.”
Lyonel Myrthil, special agent in charge of FBI New Orleans, said: “Nothing can excuse the hateful and heinous behavior of the past, but we are most grateful to the Schlamp family for their role in righting this wrong. We need and appreciate the ongoing support of the public and the art community at large to ensure there are more success stories like this in the future.”
Several other pieces of artwork stolen by the Nazis from the Parlagis in 1940 are still missing, including a signed Paul Signac watercolor from 1903 titled “Seine in Paris (Pont de Grenelle).” The FBI’s investigation to uncover the whereabouts of the remaining artworks is ongoing.
The post FBI Returns Nazi-Looted Monet Artwork to Heirs of Original Jewish Owners After More Than 80 Years first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
RSS
Washington Warns UK, France Against Recognizing Palestinian Statehood
Britain’s Foreign Secretary David Lammy leaves Downing Street, following the results of the election, in London, Britain, July 5, 2024. Photo: REUTERS/Toby Melville
i24 News – The United States has warned the UK and France not to unilaterally recognize a Palestinian state at a UN conference scheduled for June 17 in New York, the Middle East Eye reported Tuesday.
France and Saudi Arabia will co-host this conference on the two-state solution, with Paris reportedly preparing to unilaterally recognize Palestine. France is also pressuring London to follow this path, according to sources from the British Foreign Office.
French media reports indicate that French authorities believe they have the agreement of the British government. Meanwhile, Arab states are encouraging this move, measuring the success of the conference by the recognitions obtained.
This initiative deeply divides Western allies. If France and the UK were to carry out this recognition, they would become the first G7 nations to take this step, causing a “political earthquake” according to observers, given their historical ties with Israel. The Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer threatened last week to annex parts of the West Bank if this recognition took place, according to a report in the Israeli newspaper Haaretz.
In the United Kingdom, Foreign Secretary David Lammy publicly opposes unilateral recognition, stating that London would only recognize a Palestinian state when we know that it is going to happen and that it is in view.
However, pressure is mounting within the Labour Party. MP Uma Kumaran, member of the Foreign Affairs Committee, said that the government was elected on a platform that promised to recognize Palestine as a step towards a just and lasting peace. Chris Doyle, director of the Council for Arab-British Understanding, believes that there is no legitimate reason for the United States to interfere in a sovereign decision of recognition, while highlighting the unpredictability of US President Donald Trump on this issue.
The post Washington Warns UK, France Against Recognizing Palestinian Statehood first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
RSS
Police, Shin Bet Thwart Suspected Iranian Attempt Perpetrate Terror Attack
A small number of Jewish worshipers pray during the priestly blessing, a traditional prayer which usually attracts thousands of worshipers at the Western Wall on the holiday of Passover during 2020, amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, in Jerusalem’s Old City, April 12, 2020. Photo: Reuters / Ronen Zvulun.
i24 News – The Shin Bet security agency and Israel Police thwarted another Iranian attempt to recruit Israelis, according to a statement on Tuesday, arresting a resident of East Jerusalem for allegedly carrying out missions for the Islamic Republic.
Iranian agents recruited the suspect, who in turn recruited members of his family. He is a resident of the Isawiya neighborhood in his 30s, and is accused of maintaining contact with a hostile foreign entity to harm the state by carrying out a terrorist attack against Jews.
The suspect had already begun perpetrating acts of sabotage and espionage, including collecting intelligence about areas in Jerusalem, including the Western Wall and Mahane Yehuda Market. He also hung signs, burned Israeli army uniforms, and more in exchange for payment totaling thousands of shekels.
He was also charged with planning a terror attack in central Israel, including setting fire to a forest, and was told to transfer weapons to terrorist elements in the West Bank.
The suspect’s sought the help of family members, including his mother. A search at his home revealed sums of cash, a spray can used in some of his activities, airsoft guns, suspected illegal drugs, and more.
His indictment is expected to be filed by the Jerusalem District Attorney’s Office.
The statement said that the case is yet another example of Iranian efforts to recruit Israelis. “We will continue to coordinate efforts to thwart terrorism and terrorist elements, including those operating outside Israel, while attempting to mobilize local elements in order to protect the citizens of the State of Israel,” the Shin Bet and Police said.
The post Police, Shin Bet Thwart Suspected Iranian Attempt Perpetrate Terror Attack first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
RSS
Pro-Russian, Anti-Israeli Hackers Pose Biggest Cybercrime Threats in Germany
German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt holds a chart showing the development of antisemitic crime, during a press conference on Figures for Politically Motivated Crime in the Country, in Berlin, Germany, May 20, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Lisi Niesner
Cybercrime in Germany rose to a record level last year, driven by hacker attacks from pro-Russian and anti-Israeli groups, the BKA Federal Crime Office reported on Tuesday as the government said it would boost countermeasures to combat it.
“Cybercrime is an increasing threat to our security,” said Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt. “It is getting more aggressive but our counter-strategies are also becoming more professional,” he said.
Some 131,391 cases of cybercrime took place in Germany last year and a further 201,877 cases were committed from abroad or an unknown location, a BKA report said.
The actors behind the hacker attacks on German targets were primarily either pro-Russian or anti-Israeli, said the BKA, adding targets were mostly public and federal institutions.
Ransomware, when criminals copy and encrypt data, is one of the main threats, said the BKA, with 950 companies and institutes reporting cases in 2024.
German digital association Bitkom said damage caused by cyberattacks here totaled 178.6 billion euros ($203.87 billion) last year, some 30.4 billion euros more than in the previous year.
Dobrindt said the government planned to extend the legal capabilities authorities could use to combat cybercrime and set higher security standards for companies.
The post Pro-Russian, Anti-Israeli Hackers Pose Biggest Cybercrime Threats in Germany first appeared on Algemeiner.com.