RAMALLAH, May 31, 2018 (WAFA) – On the 17th anniversary of the passing of Faisal Husseini, a Palestinian leader from Jerusalem, Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) Executive Committee Member Hanan Ashrawi issued the following eulogy:
"On behalf of the Palestinian leadership and the people of Palestine, we mark with great sorrow the 17th anniversary of the death of Palestine‘s great leader and agent of change Faisal Husseini.
“Faisal, who embodied the principles and values of exceptional courage, resilience, dedication, and selflessness, boldly stood up to Israel‘s belligerent military occupation and all of its dehumanizing manifestations. Even though he was imprisoned by Israel for a total of forty-two months throughout the 1980s, Faisal‘s spirit remained unbroken, and his desire for social justice, freedom and independence never faltered.
“Faisal‘s incalculable legacy of preserving the Palestinian presence, culture heritage and continuity in Jerusalem still resonates today. He devoted his entire life to liberating Jerusalem and serving the Palestinians of the occupied city. He empowered and helped the Palestinian Jerusalemites by establishing a number of important institutions which included the Arab Studies Society, the Early Childhood Resource Center, the Palestinian Human Rights Center, the Orient House, and the Palestinian Center for Development of Small Projects. In 1996, he became the PLO Executive Committee‘s member in charge of Jerusalem affairs.
“In his efforts to defend Palestine and East Jerusalem from Israel‘s policies of occupation and ethnic cleansing, Faisal confronted Israeli police and border guards in the occupied city and led demonstrations to protect Palestinian sites such as the Al-Aqsa Mosque Compound (Al-Haram Al-Sharif) and Burj al-Laqlaq and to resist Israel‘s theft of Palestinian land and its illegal settlement enterprise, primarily in Jabal Abu Ghneim (Har Homa) and in Ras al-Amoud. Faisal also actively headed the Palestinian mass popular nonviolent struggle for freedom and self-determination with protests, sit-ins, and hunger strikes. Moreover, in his capacity as both the head of the Palestinian Team to the Madrid Peace Talks and a member of the Palestinian Committee for Final Status Negotiations, Faisal worked tirelessly to establish the independent and viable Palestinian state on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital. He engaged in negotiations with Israeli and international officials with dignity, courage and candor.
“We are indebted to Faisal for his struggle in pursuit of peace, justice and human rights. Faisal‘s loss will be remembered for a long time to come; his strength, determination and spirit will always serve as a profound inspiration to every Palestinian in our struggle for freedom and full rights."
M.K.
