▁to ▁super v ise ▁deal ers ▁and ▁allows ▁museum s ▁to ▁purchase ▁objects ▁leg ally . ▁ ▁Kol lek ▁is ▁not ▁the ▁only ▁Isra eli ▁politician ▁to ▁collect ▁anti qu ities . ▁Mos he ▁Day an , ▁a ▁general ▁and ▁former ▁minister , ▁had ▁an ▁extreme ▁interest ▁in ▁valuable ▁arch ae ological ▁finds . ▁Day an ▁accum ulated ▁his ▁extensive ▁private ▁collection ▁through ▁una ut hor ized ▁and ▁uns cient ific ▁dig s , ▁using ▁Isra eli ▁soldiers ▁and ▁army ▁hel ic op ters . ▁ ▁While ▁acting ▁as ▁Minister ▁of ▁Def ence , ▁he ▁halt ed ▁important ▁anti - lo oting ▁legisl ation . ▁When ▁the ▁I AA ▁discovered ▁this , ▁rather ▁than ▁arrest ing ▁him , ▁they ▁seized ▁his ▁collection ▁and ▁displayed ▁it ▁in ▁the ▁Israel ▁Museum ▁Jerusalem . ▁Both ▁Kol lek ▁and ▁Day an ▁did ▁a ▁lot ▁to ▁prevent ▁the ▁establishment ▁of ▁laws ▁aim ed ▁at ▁protect ing ▁national ▁her itage , ▁while ▁at ▁the ▁same ▁time ▁protect ing ▁and ▁increasing ▁their ▁own ▁collections . ▁ ▁Anti qu ities ▁displayed ▁in ▁Isra eli ▁museum s ▁come ▁from ▁author ized ▁and ▁una ut hor ized ▁exc av ations . ▁Some ▁influ ential ▁cur ators ▁at ▁the ▁Israel ▁Museum ▁Jerusalem ▁and ▁the ▁E ret z ▁Israel ▁Museum ▁in ▁Tel - Av iv ▁support ▁the ▁anti qu ities ▁trade ▁because ▁it ▁allows ▁them ▁to ▁continue ▁bu ying ▁anti qu ities ▁on ▁the ▁open ▁market . ▁Pre vent ing ▁such ▁a ▁trade ▁would ▁sever ely ▁con str ict ▁the ▁museum s ’ ▁sources ▁and