RAMALLAH, November 10, 2026 (WAFA) – President Mahmoud Abbas affirmed that honoring the legacy of the founding leader Yasser Arafat, Abu Ammar, on the 22nd anniversary of his passing requires upholding the national principles for which he was martyred, continuing efforts to achieve the Palestinian people's goals of self-determination, return and independence, preserving the unity of the land, people and national institutions, and safeguarding national achievements made through the blood of martyrs, the sacrifices of detainees and the wounded, and the suffering endured by the Palestinian people over decades of struggle.
In a statement marking the 22nd anniversary of the passing of the founding leader and symbol of the contemporary Palestinian revolution, Yasser Arafat, President Abbas said: "With deep reverence and loyalty, we recall the journey of the great leader who dedicated his life to Palestine and its people, led our contemporary national revolution, brought our people's cause to international forums around the world, and made Palestinian national identity the hallmark of our people's presence, struggle and right to freedom and independence."
President Abbas added that the martyrdom of the iconic leader Abu Ammar marked a pivotal moment in the history of the Palestinian people. However, the President emphasized that, through the solidarity of the Palestinian people and their leadership, they had succeeded in protecting the national project to which Abu Ammar had dedicated his life, and that the assassination had failed to break the will of the Palestinian people or undermine their adherence to their inalienable national rights.
President Abbas stressed that the Palestine for which Abu Ammar struggled would remain present in the conscience of the Palestinian people, the hearts of the Arab nation and the world, and would continue its journey until the end of the Israeli occupation, the attainment of freedom and independence, and the establishment of an independent, sovereign Palestinian state on the June 4, 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital.
President Abbas pointed out that the war, aggression and destruction being inflicted on the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, along with the accompanying attempts at forced displacement, colonization, land seizure, annexation and Judaization, would not deter the Palestinian people from holding on to their land and national rights. The President emphasized that these actions would not succeed in imposing a reality that contradicts the Palestinian people's legitimate rights and resolutions of international legitimacy.
President Abbas affirmed that the Palestinian people, who have stood firm in the face of various forms of aggression and uprooting, would remain deeply rooted in their homeland, committed to their national identity and their right to live in freedom and dignity on their national soil.
The President added: "As we recall the positions and sacrifices of the martyred leader, we affirm that our national and historical responsibility requires us to strengthen the steadfastness of our people, protect their presence on their land, and intensify political, diplomatic and legal efforts to halt the aggression, end the occupation, and hold those responsible for crimes committed against our people accountable."
President Abbas further stressed the commitment to work with Arab brothers and the international community to provide protection for the Palestinian people, ensure the entry of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip, rebuild what was destroyed by the aggression, and prevent displacement and liquidation schemes.
President Abbas also emphasized that Palestinian national unity would remain a national priority that cannot be postponed, and that the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), the sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian people, is their inclusive national framework and political and struggle-related reference in the homeland and the diaspora.
The President called on all parties to put the supreme national interest first, end the division and unite the national ranks based on the principle of one authority, one law and one legitimate weapon, in a manner that preserves the unity of the Palestinian political system, safeguards independent national decision-making and strengthens our ability to confront the dangers and challenges targeting the Palestinian cause and national presence.
President Abbas said that the martyred leader Abu Ammar believed that Palestine deserved every sacrifice from its people and that their will was stronger than all attempts to subjugate them and break their resolve.
The President affirmed that the Palestinian people remained committed to their pledge, adhering to the national approach pursued by the founding leaders and to our political choice based on upholding our legitimate national rights, until freedom, independence, the establishment of an independent Palestinian state and the return of Palestinian refugees were achieved.
President Abbas recalled with deep loyalty the fellow founding leaders of the martyred leader Abu Ammar, as well as all the righteous martyrs of the Palestinian people. The President also paid tribute to male and female detainees in Israeli occupation prisons, the wounded and the steadfast Palestinian people everywhere, affirming that their sacrifices would remain a trust entrusted to us, that the rights of the Palestinian people are inalienable and do not lapse with the passage of time, and that all attempts to erase their national identity or liquidate their cause would fail.
President Abbas renewed his pledge to the Palestinian people, the Arab nation and the souls of the martyrs, foremost among them the iconic leader Yasser Arafat, to continue the national journey until the Palestinian people's goals of freedom, return, self-determination and independence are achieved, and an independent, fully sovereign Palestinian state is established with East Jerusalem as its capital.
The President concluded his statement by stating: "Peace to the soul of the martyred leader Yasser Arafat, peace to the souls of our righteous martyrs, freedom for our detainees, and healing for our wounded. Long live Palestine, free, proud and independent. It is a revolution until victory."
T.R.
