Qatar's Mission to UN Presents "The Palestinians: Photographs of a Land and Its People"

New York, November 26 (QNA) - The Permanent Mission of the State of Qatar to the United Nations and the Permanent Observer Mission of the State of Palestine to the United Nations co-hosted an event at the UN headquarters in New York on the occasion of the release of the English version of the book "The Palestinians: Photographs of a Land and Its People from 1839 to the Present Day". HE the Permanent Representative of Qatar to the United Nations Sheikha Alya Ahmed bin Saif Al-Thani presented the book, noting that the State of Qatar supported the preparation and printing of this book, in confirmation on the commitment of Qatar's leadership and government to solidarity with the brotherly Palestinian people in their just struggle to regain their legitimate rights. She underlined that the State of Qatar considers the realization of these rights is a prerequisite for achieving a just peace, referring to the historical and aesthetic value of the book, which contributes to highlight the close link between the Palestinian people and their land. HE Sheikha Alya Al-Thani said that the occasion comes at a time when tension mounts in Jerusalem. She expressed hope that this event would highlight the suffering of the Palestinian people under the Israeli occupation, and would be a catalyst to achieve a just and lasting peace in the Middle East. For his part, President of the 69th session of the UN General Assembly Sam Kutesa said that the issuance of the book coincides with the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, and the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees donor conference. He added that the book presents the real life of the Palestinians. Meanwhile, Palestine's Permanent Representative to the United Nations reviewed the technical and historical aspects of the book. He praised the generous support provided by the State of Qatar to the Palestinian cause, and to the issuance of the English version of the book. A representative of the UN Secretary General, a number of ambassadors and members of the diplomatic corps accredited to the United Nations, media representatives, and members of the Arab and Palestinian community in New York attended the event. The book was prepared and documented by Palestinian author Elias Sanbar, Palestine's Representative to the UNESCO. It examines images of Palestine taken over the course of nearly 200 years, showing the various phases of its pictorial history. Elias Sanbar provides commentaries on this impressive and visually stunning opus, showing how a highly symbolic place and its people have been both captured and abstracted by the camera. Gripping and poignant, the photographs in this publication assert not only the global importance of Palestine, but the beauty that emerges amid its complicated history. (QNA)