The Palestinian Ministry of Culture announced today, Tuesday, that the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage has approved the Palestinian request to include "Palestinian Folk Dance" on the UNESCO list of Intangible Cultural Heritage. This decision was made during a meeting in Kazan, Botswana. Minister of Culture Dr. Atef Abu Saif stated that this decision comes as a result of efforts made by Palestinian authorities in collaboration with official and civil institutions over the past two years, according to UNESCO standards for filing registrations on this list.
Abu Saif, in a statement from Gaza, noted that the registration of the Palestinian Folk Dance on the list is the third file registered under Palestine, following the files of the Oral Tradition and Palestinian Embroidery Art. He added, "This decision is a victory for our people who affirm daily in their struggle against occupation the inevitability of survival and the necessity of existence." He further mentioned that this decision comes "at a time when our people in Gaza are facing the most brutal forms of aggression targeting the Palestinian presence and narrative, all in plain sight of the world."
Abu Saif stated that preserving Palestinian heritage, both tangible and intangible, is an essential component in building Palestinian identity, "it is a pure national duty because it is a testament to our identity and our Palestinian narrative against all attempts to erase and steal by the Israeli occupation, which seeks by all means to eliminate the Palestinian identity and narrative."
The Palestinian authorities have also submitted the file of traditional (Nabulsi) soap for registration on the list in 2025, after it met all the criteria governing registration.
