A long-lost painting by global graffiti artist Banksy has resurfaced in a swank art gallery in “Tel Aviv”.The painting was originally sprayed on a concrete wall in the occupied West Bank.

The relocation of the painting, which depicts a slingshot-wielding rat and was intended to protest the Israeli occupation, raises ethical concerns about the removal of artwork from occupied Palestinian territory and the display of such works illegally in “Israel”.

The painting was one of several works created in secret around 2007 near the Israeli apartheid separation wall in the occupied West Bank city of Beit Lahm.

It is now illegally displayed at the Urban Gallery in “Tel Aviv's financial district”, surrounded by glass and steel skyscrapers.

Israeli art dealer Koby Abergel affirmed as cited by AP that the cracks and scrapes in the concrete act are "fingerprints," proving that it is the same piece as seen on the artist's website.

The painting's 70-kilometer journey from the occupied West Bank to “Tel Aviv” is shrouded in mystery. 

The 900-pound concrete slab would have had to pass through the Israeli serpentine barrier and at least one military checkpoint — both of which are daily occurrences in Palestinian life and targets of Banksy's scathing satire.

It is worth noting that “Israel” controls all access to the West Bank, and Palestinians must obtain Israeli permits to enter or exit the territory, as well as to import and export goods. Even when traveling within the occupied West Bank, they can be stopped and searched at any time by Israeli occupation forces (IOF). However, Israeli settlers can freely travel in and out of the occupied West Bank.

Occupying powers must prevent the removal of cultural property from occupied territories, according to an international treaty to which “Israel” is presumably a signatory. 

On his account, a spokesperson for the Palestinian Tourism Ministry Jeries Qumsieh said that "this is theft of the property of the Palestinian people".

"These were paintings by an international artist for Beit Lahm, for Palestine, and for visitors to Beit Lahm and Palestine. So transferring them, manipulating them, and stealing them is definitely an illegal act," Qumsieh added.

In recent years, Banksy has created a number of artworks in the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip to protest the Israeli occupation, including one depicting a girl conducting a body search on an Israeli soldier, another depicting a dove wearing a flak jacket, and one where a masked protester is hurling a bouquet of flowers. 

In 2017, Banksy opened the “Walled Off Hotel” in the Palestinian town of Beit Lahm, right across the Israeli apartheid separation wall. The rooms, which are garnished with Banksy artworks depicting the Palestinian condition under Israeli occupation, directly overlook the separation wall in an attempt to remind tourists constantly of the ethnic division that “Israel” perpetrates.

This is not the first time Banksy's work has been stolen. Two other paintings, "Wet Dog" and "Stop and Search," were removed from the walls of a Beit Lahm bus stop and butcher shop in the occupied West Bank in 2008. They were eventually purchased by galleries in the United States and the United Kingdom, where they were displayed in 2011.