Jerusalem Affairs Committee stresses safeguarding Arab, Palestinian identity 

AMMAN — Secretary General of the Royal Committee for Jerusalem Affairs Abdullah Kanaan on Sunday participated in the first meeting of the Palestinian Historians and Archaeologists Union, which was held virtually, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

During the meeting, Kanaan highlighted the importance of history and antiquities in the Palestinian and Arab identity.

“This union is an example of the extent to which historians, archaeologists and intellectuals realise their role in culturally defending the Arab identity and the history of Palestine and Jerusalem,” he said.

Kanaan referred to the growing Zionist plans to “Judaise culture, steal and falsify history, and spread the false Talmudic and biblical narratives”, underlining the efforts of the Union of Palestinian Historians and Archaeologists to refute the falsehood of the Zionist narrative, and to establish a modern Palestinian school that provides a positive environment for Palestinian historians and archaeologists.

Historical documents on Palestine and Jerusalem are of legal value in the fight against Israeli occupation, said Kanaan, stressing that documents regarding the Sheikh Jarrah neighbourhood confirm Jerusalemites’ ownership of the land.

Kanaan called for institutionalising Palestinian archives to protect documents from Judaisation, destruction and deliberate confiscation by Israel as well as publishing the Palestinian and Jerusalemite historical narrative in all languages ​​due to its importance.

He stressed that His Majesty King Abdullah, Custodian of Jerusalem’s Islamic and Christian holy sites, continues to support Palestinians and Jerusalemites. 

The Union of Palestinian Historians and Archaeologists, whose founding was announced on Sunday in Ramallah, is the cultural arm of the Palestine Liberation Organisation.