Yasser Arafat Foundation commemorated the 13th anniversary of the passing of President Yasser Arafat at the Ramallah Cultural Palace on the 10th of November 2017.
The commemoration included the presentation of the Yasser Arafat Achievement Award 2017 to His Eminence Sheikh Mohammad Hussein and His Beatitude Patriarch Michel Sabbah in recognition of their stalwart contributions to Palestine and its capital, Jerusalem.
Among the dignitaries at the commemoration were Secretary-General of the Palestinian Presidency Altayeb Abdel Rahim, members of the Executive Committee of the PLO and Central Committee of Fatah, Arab and international ministers and ambassadors.
In his welcoming remarks, Chairman of the Foundation’s Board of Directors, Dr. Nasser Alkidwa remarked: “We meet on this national occasion to reaffirm our loyalty to the journey of Yasser Arafat and follow in his footsteps to resist all hardships that beset our country.”He stressed that “We should remain committed to our identity and national goals because we are the indigenous people of the land, we are the people of the State of Palestine whose independence has been declared and recognized by the world.”
Alkidwa continued “Our central national goal is to achieve an independent State of Palestine along the 1967 borders and its capital, Jerusalem and to achieve Palestinian refugees’ right of return. We should confront the Israeli occupation to protect our country because this occupation aims to steal land and destroy the Palestinian national existence. Therefore, we must organize our power against this threat that signifies a complex war crime committed by Israel, the occupying power.”
Over the past 10 years since its establishment, Yasser Arafat Foundation has been faithfully committed to its mission to preserve the memory of the late leader Yasser Arafat, to maintain and benefit from and convey his legacy to future generations, to continue his path of benevolence, and promote the Palestinian people’s achievement. While a significant number of documents, photographs, videos, and belongings of Arafat have been collected, organized, preserved and displayed for the benefit and edification of the public, the process remains ongoing.
