Palestinians celebrate Jerusalem Festival return

Three years after its last edition, hundreds of fans are once again able to enjoy the Jerusalem Festival, a celebration of Palestinian culture that had been placed on hold because of the horrors of the war in Gaza.
The event, which will run for two months, opened on Sunday with a tribute to the late Lebanese musician Ziad Rahbani, a staunch supporter of the Palestinian cause.
At the Yabous Cultural Centre in Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem, the Jerusalem Arabic Music Ensemble performed a selection of Rahbani’s works before an enthusiastic audience.
“An evening dedicated to Ziad Rahbani represents a major part of our memory. Jerusalem needs this kind of event”, filmmaker Yousef al Salhi said.

The Lebanese musician and playwright, the son of iconic singer Fairuz and a musical pioneer in his own right, died last year aged 69. The programme highlighted the breadth of a career that encompassed both music and theatre.
Throughout the evening, Rahbani’s varied repertoire, ranging from mawwal — slow, free-form Arabic vocal music — to lively Levantine folk-pop, enthused the audience and marked the festival’s return after a prolonged absence.
The previous edition of the festival was held in the summer of 2023, before the war erupted in the Gaza Strip following Hamas’s October 7 attack on Israel.
“We insist on coming back... Today we return to give people hope. The festival brings hope and brings people together”, said musician Suheil Khoury, chairman of the board of the Yabous Cultural Centre.
The festival’s history now stretches back four decades, although the city’s tumultuous past means that this is only its 30th edition. Several wars, as well as the intifadas, or Palestinian uprisings, of the late 1980s, the 1990s and the 2000s, have forced organisers to pause the event over the years.

This year’s festival will continue with musical performances, cultural talks and art exhibitions held at various locations across east Jerusalem until October 15.
“Everyone is thirsty for this kind of gathering amidst the difficult circumstances we are going through — the genocidal war, restrictions on Jerusalem and the West Bank; and the violence being perpetrated against us”, said Mona al Dajani, an academic researcher who attended the opening.
For many attendees, the festival’s return offered an opportunity to gather publicly around Palestinian music, art and cultural identity after three years without the event.
Moussa al Qawasmi, a resident of east Jerusalem, was enthusiastic about attending an event promoting Palestinian culture.
“They (Israel) don’t want us to exist, but no, we are always ready... We will continue to celebrate, sing and dance”. — AFP