2007 on an American college campus: A mural for Palestine... Children Reading Children are the bearers of the future who will carry on the deep cultural traditions of the Palestinians. Their presence on the mural represents the recognition of Palestinian children’s right to freedom, life, and education.
Palestinian artist Ismail Shammout 1930-2006: Victory Dance
WASHINGTON – In a symbolic gesture, the Palestinians have raised their flag over their diplomatic mission in Washington for the first time, as they continue a push for international recognition that is complicating the Obama administration's efforts to restart stalled Mideast peace talks.
At a brief ceremony on Tuesday, the Palestinian's chief envoy to the United States hoisted the red, green, white and black banner outside the PLO General Delegation office. He expressed hope it would help in the Palestinian quest to win support for independence with or without a peace deal with Israel.
The U.S. has long said it will not recognize a Palestinian state without a deal, but several other nations have done so and the Palestinians are seeking broader support to bring the matter to the U.N. in September.
Palestinian Flag Raised at PLO Office in D.C.
email from the PLO Delegation:
ReplyDeleteThe Palestinian flag officially raised in Washington
At a ceremony held today, January 18, 2011 at the headquarters of the General Delegation of the PLO to the United States, Ambassador Maen Rashid Areikat officially raised the Palestinian flag at an event held before a group of journalists and media outlets, the Arab League Ambassador Dr. Hussein Hasouneh, representatives of the U.S. State Department and representatives of the Palestinian community in the U.S. After hoisting the flag from the balcony overlooking the street, Ambassador Areikat said that, “this flag symbolizes the struggle of the Palestinian people for independence and also is a clear message that the Palestinian people and the PLO are central players in the equation of the Middle East without whom, there will be no peace, security and stability in the region.”
Ambassador Areikat also said that he hoped this event would represent a lever to the U.S. that translates support into concrete action that will trigger the recognition of a Palestinian State by the US Government - recalling President Obama’s remarks to the UN General Assembly in September, 2010 where he said; “when we come back here next year, we can have an agreement that will lead to a new member of the United Nations — an independent, sovereign state of Palestine, living in peace with Israel.”
The Ambassador concluded that this step is the result of the diplomatic efforts of President Abbas and the PLO and was a clear message to Palestinians in the United States irrespective of their political affiliation of the task ahead of them to support and defend the just cause of the Palestinian people here. “The struggle in the U.S. must go on in order to convince the U.S. to recognize our independent state soon. No political differences should undermine this objective,” he concluded.