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Thursday 12 July 2012 - 06:51

Yasser Arafat documentary screened in Palestine

Story Code : 178457
Yasser Arafat documentary screened in Palestine
The screening was timely as Arafat’s widow is currently investigating the cause of his death as it was exposed in the Swiss Radiophysics Institute that there were surprisingly high levels of polonium 210 on Arafat’s clothing.

British Documentary maker Richard Symon’s screened the Price of Kings; a film depicting the political and diplomatic achievements of Yasser Arafat from the perspective of his widow and closest friends alongside Israeli adversaries.

The film was met with high emotion from the audience as they
clapped and wept, again seeing footage of the intifada’s they lived through, the difficult process towards the Oslo agreement and the destruction of Al Muqata whilst Arafat was still working inside.

Arafat was the first Palestinian leader to accept the 1967 boundaries during Oslo and Camp David, leading to the acceptance of 22% of the original Palestinian land, although he held firm that this would include East Jerusalem/al Quds as the capital of Palestine.

Questions were raised in the feedback session as to the state of
Palestine today.

The film depicted Arafat as a freedom fighter who came to
realization that in the state of Palestine, non violent negotiations
rather than military means would achieve peace, a legacy the
Palestinians have continued in their state building efforts.

With the recent news of Arafat’s possible poisoning, screening the film in Ramallah and Jenin was always going to be a sensitive matter,particularly with an audience who lived through 2 intifadas. The reaction however was overwhelming, as the films celebrates his life and the first brave steps he took towards paying the price of losing 88% of the land of Palestine to Israel.
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