Guest on PA TV accuses Israel of stealing the Palestinian heritage and culture
Official PA TV program Palestine This Morning, hosting Director of the Palestinian Heritage Center in Bethlehem Maha Saca
Official PA TV host: “First, tell us about your role in preserving the heritage, especially against Israeli theft.”
Director of the Palestinian Heritage Center in Bethlehem Maha Saca: “…I always say that after Israel stole the land and changed its contours, it didn’t find a heritage with which to defend its presence on this Palestinian land, so it began to steal parts of our heritage – our popular foods, our music, our traditional clothing, and even the Palestinian keffiyeh (i.e., Arab headdress).”
Host: “Right, and now we are seeing it – if we can show it with the camera – an example of the Israeli theft of the Palestinian keffiyeh.”
Visual: A book is shown in which there are pictures of models wearing keffiyehs.
Maha Saca: “This Palestinian keffiyeh has been presented in several Israeli exhibitions and Israeli models and beauty queens have worn it. They have even attempted to distort the significance of the Palestinian keffiyeh, which is a symbol of our Palestinian struggle since the Palestinian uprising. Of course the Palestinian rebels have worn it since 1936. Of course [former PLO and PA Chairman] Yasser Arafat also wore it, and now it has become a symbol for every Palestinian fighter and every supporter of the Palestinian cause. Therefore we need to use this heritage so that it will remain our possession.”
Official PA TV host: “First, tell us about your role in preserving the heritage, especially against Israeli theft.”
Director of the Palestinian Heritage Center in Bethlehem Maha Saca: “…I always say that after Israel stole the land and changed its contours, it didn’t find a heritage with which to defend its presence on this Palestinian land, so it began to steal parts of our heritage – our popular foods, our music, our traditional clothing, and even the Palestinian keffiyeh (i.e., Arab headdress).”
Host: “Right, and now we are seeing it – if we can show it with the camera – an example of the Israeli theft of the Palestinian keffiyeh.”
Visual: A book is shown in which there are pictures of models wearing keffiyehs.
Maha Saca: “This Palestinian keffiyeh has been presented in several Israeli exhibitions and Israeli models and beauty queens have worn it. They have even attempted to distort the significance of the Palestinian keffiyeh, which is a symbol of our Palestinian struggle since the Palestinian uprising. Of course the Palestinian rebels have worn it since 1936. Of course [former PLO and PA Chairman] Yasser Arafat also wore it, and now it has become a symbol for every Palestinian fighter and every supporter of the Palestinian cause. Therefore we need to use this heritage so that it will remain our possession.”