KASANE, Tuesday, December 5, 2023 (WAFA) - The Palestinian national dance, the Dabke, was included this afternoon on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage during the eighteenth session of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, affiliated with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), which meets in Kasane, Botswana, from 4 to 9 December 2023.

Palestine now has three elements listed on the list of intangible cultural heritage: storytelling, embroidery, and Dabke, in addition to joint files with Arab countries, namely the palm tree and Arabic calligraphy.

Palestine's ambassador to UNESCO, Mounir Anastas, condemned the Israeli aggression against Gaza, especially in the cultural sector, and the destruction of cultural centers, museums and libraries.

Anastas stressed that “despite the targeting of the defenseless Palestinian people and trying to erase all the monuments, culture and identity associated with them to erase the Palestinian memory, we continue to highlight the Palestinian culture at the international level and demonstrate the richness and creativity of the Palestinian people.”

M.K.