RAMALLAH, February 25, 2026 (WAFA) — President Mahmoud Abbas offered his condolences on Wednesday on the passing of the Reverend Jesse Jackson Sr.
In a condolence telegram sent to the family of the late Reverend and the Rainbow PUSH Coalition, President Abbas said: "With great sadness and deep respect, I extend to you, on behalf of the State of Palestine and the Palestinian people, our deepest condolences and sincere sympathies on the passing of Reverend Jesse Louis Jackson Sr."
The President added: "Reverend Jackson was a towering figure in the American civil rights movement and one of the most courageous moral voices of our time. Guided by his deep faith and inspired by the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., he expanded the horizons of the struggle for justice, affirming that civil rights at home and human rights abroad are inseparable."
He continued in the telegram: "At a pivotal stage in American political discourse, Reverend Jackson contributed to placing the issue of Palestinian rights at the heart of the national public debate. At a time when doing so was fraught with political challenges, he insisted that the Palestinian people, like all other peoples, deserve dignity, self-determination, and equal protection under international law."
The President noted that "by linking the African American struggle for freedom with the aspirations of oppressed peoples around the world, Reverend Jackson elevated the dialogue beyond politics to reach the conscience of humanity. His willingness to engage, dialogue, and listen, and his boldness in honestly expressing the rights of the Palestinian people, contributed to establishing a more fair and principled debate regarding peace in the Middle East."
President Abbas emphasized that the Palestinian people will remember Reverend Jackson as a friend who believed that true reconciliation must be based on justice and mutual recognition, noting that his life will remain a testament to the power of moral courage.
The President expressed his deepest feelings of sympathy and solidarity with the family of the late Reverend, the Rainbow PUSH Coalition, and Jackson's friends and colleagues during this painful time, praying for their patience and strength, and that they find comfort in his extraordinary legacy and the many lives he inspired and committed to serving for the sake of equality and human dignity.
A.D/M.N
