JERICHO, April 29, 2010 (WAFA)- In celebration of Jericho’s 10,000th anniversary and the 40th anniversary of Earth Day, the U.S. Consulate General in Jerusalem and the Municipality of Jericho organized a clean-up and beautification day in Jericho today.
Mayor of Jericho Mr. Hassan Saleh, and U.S. Consul General Daniel Rubinstein hosted the event, during which hundreds of volunteers, including officers from the U.S. Consulate General, planted over 50 trees and cleared litter from a section of Qasir Hisham Road.
Mr. Kamel Hameid, Governor of Jericho and the Jordan Valley, and representatives from the Palestinian Authority Ministry of Education and Ministry of Culture participated, along with more than 350 members of the Jericho community, including local school children, municipality employees, members of the municipality council, representatives from local NGOs and civil society institutions, and representatives from the local security forces and the police academy.
Qasir Hisham Road is a main road that leads to one of Jericho’s most important landmarks, Hisham’s Palace. Speaking at the event, Consul General Rubinstein noted the rich history of Jericho, and said that he was “proud to join the people of Jericho in a demonstration of our commitment to protecting the environment and caring for the planet.” He commended the spirit and hard work of all those who volunteered their time and energy to make the event such a success.
The cleanup event was sponsored in part by the American Corner in Jericho, located in Jericho’s Municipal Library. AC Jericho hosts thematic programming events throughout the year, with funding from the U.S. Consulate General. The U.S. Consulate General also donated $3,000 worth of English-language books to AC Jericho, as part of its continuous cooperation with the Municipal Library to mark this special occasion. The books include novels, general reference materials in subjects such as business and medicine, and children’s books.
