Khaled Osaily. خالد العسيلي رئيس بلدية الخيل السابق خالد العسيلي
Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad inaugurated today Hebron Municipality’s TareqIbnZiyad Community Centre during a ceremony organized at the Centre itself. PM Fayyad cut the inaugural ribbon during the ceremony attended by Hebron Mayor KhaledOsaily, Minister of Local Government Dr.Khaled Fahd, Hebron Governor KamelHmeid, French Consul General in Jerusalem FrédéricDesagneaux, TIPH Head of Mission Brigadier General EinarJohnsen, and a large crowd comprising officials and local community members.
“The message we are sending out today from the heart of Hebron, only a few meters away from Al Ibrahimi Mosque, is that Palestinians will no doubt enjoy their freedom and build their State one day”, PM Fayyad said in his opening speech. “There will be no more H1 or H2 areas: all areas will be under Palestinian sovereignty and all Palestinian children will enjoy freedom and security. I would like to laud the steadfastness of citizens in Hebron City and Governorate as well as their defiance of Israeli policies and efforts to remain in their properties and to protect them against confiscation and annexation by Israeli occupation authorities.I applaud Old City residents for their endurance, continuous efforts and steadfastness”, he added.
Fayyad affirmed that the Palestinian government shall continue to support development and rehabilitation efforts in Hebron through continuous projects aimed at building the basis for the future Palestinian State and ending occupation which is the ultimate goal and dream of every Palestinian. He reassured participants that Hebron Governorate receives all support from the Government and that additional projects shall be implemented as seen today and in the past. At the end of his speech, Fayyad expressed his satisfaction “with projects implemented in Hebron which are very important as they help develop and polish the skills of Palestinian youths. This new Centre has a political significance as it strengthens Palestinian sovereignty on all Palestinian land and helps support the steadfastness of Palestinians in the Old City which has always received support and assistance from the Government”, he added.
The ceremony had started with a speech by Hebron Mayor KhaledOsaily who welcomed PM Fayyad, thanked him for his efforts aimed at building the basis for the Palestinian State and lauded his endeavors to develop the State’s civil and military institutions. “Your political program aimed at ending occupation and building the State had a great impact as it led to new projects and to institution building. You have made us persevere to provide a decent lifefor fellow citizens. In fact, this is the least we at Hebron Municipality can do for our City. The inauguration of this Centre comes at a cheerful moment for Hebronites and Palestinians in general given the recent national reconciliation which crowns efforts by President Abbas and by you personally to ensure that Palestinians are united once again”, he said. Osaily also thanked TIPH for the financial support it has provided for this project and lauded its role in Hebron. He thanked the six States which make up TIPH for their continuous support for the city. He also praised the role played by French General Consul, ADF, FSGT and the staff and management of the TareqIbnZiyad Centre for their efforts and urged them to continue supporting vital projects in Hebron, a city with a promising young generation.
Brigadier General EinarJohnsen expressed his joy at seeing this dream shared by TIPH come true. He recalled TIPH members who fell during the 2nd Intifada and thanked Hebron Municipality for naming several halls in the new Centre after them. He hoped that the Centre would help bolster activities in Southern Hebron and that it would inspire young people to fulfill their dreams, take part in championships and win medals.
The French General Consul said that the current perfect cooperation between French institutions and Hebron Municipality is deeply rooted in the past. “Indeed, there are many joint projects underway as well as an upcoming project for the treatment of wastewater in which French institutions shall participate largely and provide adequate support”, he said, expressing his joy at being in Hebron and at taking part in this inauguration ceremony. He thanked PM Fayyad, Hebron Municipality, TIPH, ADF, FSGT and TareqIbnZiyad Centre, hoping that Palestinians will enjoy peace. He added that his government is keen on this matter and is working to achieve peace in the region.
It is to be noted that the 1000 m2TareqIbnZiyad Center comprises a swimming pool, a wrestling ring, a sauna and a steam room built according to international standards. It shall serve up to 500 young boys and girls in the Old City which remains under Israeli control.
