FALCON POWERS – The Palestinian Ministry of Culture issued a report at the end of 2023 summarizing the Israeli violations against the cultural sector in Palestine.
Dr. Atef Abu Seif, the Minister of Culture, stated, “Israel is waging a systematic and targeted campaign aimed at the cultural and heritage sector, directly targeting its material and non-material components. Through this campaign, Israel seeks to erase national memory, distort facts, and combat the Palestinian narrative.”
Abu Seif affirmed that all of the occupation’s policies will not change the eternal truth that Palestine belongs to the Palestinians, who are the rightful owners of the land.
He further stated that the deliberate war being waged by the occupying state against our people is a continuation of the Nakba that started seventy-five years ago and is ongoing. During this war, Israel has continued to steal heritage, artifacts, and cultural possessions, plundering the achievements of our people and combating our national narrative.
The Ministry of Culture, in its report released today, documented a series of Israeli measures that constitute violations against the cultural sector, including:
- Assassinations and killings of artists and writers, as well as arrests based on artistic works and content.
- Settlement and Judaization, especially in archaeological areas and historic towns in Jerusalem, Nablus, Hebron, and Sebastia.
- Destruction of historical buildings, archaeological sites, and museums.
- Destruction of functioning squares, memorial monuments, and public artwork.
- Theft of artifacts and archaeological findings in Jerusalem, Nablus, Hebron, and Gaza during the ongoing war.
- Demolition of cultural institutions, theaters, printing presses, art galleries, libraries, publishing houses, and archival centers.
- Closure of cultural institutions and public facilities in the cultural sector in Jerusalem.
- Prevention of cultural activities in Jerusalem.
- Restriction of movement for participation in cultural events within Palestine and the prevention of many artists and writers from traveling to participate in international cultural events.
The report also highlighted that the Israeli forces targeted the landmarks of Palestinian cities, bombarding public squares, monuments, memorials, gardens, and artistic murals. Dozens of artistic works and memorial monuments in public squares, especially in Gaza City, were targeted.
The army destroyed all the memorial monuments in public squares along the Rashid Street, from Sudanese Junction in north Gaza to Wadi Gaza Bridge. They also bulldozed and destroyed the Unknown Soldier Park in the Remal neighborhood, including its famous memorial monument. Additionally, the Phoenix statue in the heart of Palestine Square in Gaza, which symbolizes the city of Gaza, was destroyed. Other targeted artworks include the “Letters” sculpture in the Tel al-Hawa area, the memorial monument for the Six Martyrs in Jabalia Camp, and many others.
The same modus operandi was followed by the occupying state in targeting public squares and memorial monuments in the West Bank, such as targeting key landmarks in the city of Jenin, including the Martyrs’ Squares, and the destruction and theft of the “Jenin Horse” iron statue sculpted by the German artist, Maske Kobler, from the remnants of the occupation’s invasion of Jenin and its camp in 2002. This statue stands as evidence of the occupation’s crimes.
