Israeli, Palestinian, and American archaeologists unveiled a draft agreement on archaeological and cultural heritage that they hope to see included in a future Middle East peace agreement. Presenting their proposal to an audience of archaeologists at the Van Leer Jerusalem Institute, they said it was the first time that Israelis and Palestinians had discussed the fate of thousands of artifacts discovered in the West Bank and Gaza since Israel occupied those territories, in 1967. The proposal was presented to Palestinian archaeologists last summer. The draft is the result of five years of secret work by the Israeli-Palestinian Archaeology Working Group, comprising Israeli and Palestinian archaeologists who met for talks in London, Vienna, and Jerusalem. The issue is so sensitive that of the nine participants, two remain anonymous. The five-page draft agreement has been presented to Israeli and Palestinian leaders, United Nations officials, and the former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, who is now a Middle East peace envoy. It calls for Israel to repatriate all items excavated in the West Bank and Gaza to the Palestinians except for those with "deep symbolic value," which should remain on loan to Israel. The group also urges both sides to respect and preserve archaeological sites on both sides of any new border.