The Yasser Arafat Foundation launched the "Museum Guide" book for the Yasser Arafat Museum 2023 at a press conference in Al-Muntada Hall. The event was attended by political figures, writers, and interested audiences.  The ceremony began with the Palestinian national song, followed by a minute of silence and the recitation of Al-Fatiha for President Yasser Arafat's soul and the souls of all martyrs. The book, which will be released in Arabic, will be translated into English before the end of this year, and a French version is planned for release within the next year. The launch of the guide fulfills the requirements for an integrated museum presentation, and Dr. Ahmed Soboh, Director General of the Yasser Arafat Foundation, stated that the book will be available in both Arabic and English.

Dr. Soboh congratulated those who contributed to the Yasser Arafat Museum's foundation. The museum received 200,000 visitors in its first five years, expanding to nine languages. The most notable feature was the presence of children, grandkids, international visitors, and study tours. The museum's message is geared toward the future generation, emphasizing the importance of welcoming visitors and promoting education.

 

Dr. Hamdan Taha, a member of the Yasser Arafat Museum Committee (and the guide's editor), stated that the work methodology used in the guide's components is a continuation of the museum's efforts in permanent and virtual displays, as well as temporary displays, guided by the International Council of Museums (ICOM) goals of disseminating museum knowledge and emphasizing the role of the museum for Palestinian national memory at a time when the colonial Zionist narrative and the story of the Palestinian people of the country are at odds.

Dr. Taha went on to say that the work methodology is inspired by well-known international work traditions stemming from the World Antiquities Council's definition of the museum as a public institution open to the public that preserves, researches, communicates, displays, and develops human heritage for educational and research purposes.
Taha pointed out that this museum is also one of the few resistance museums in the world, with the closest counterpart being the Nelson Mandela Museum in South Africa.

He went on to say that the museum not only presents the late Yasser Arafat's biography but also the biography and path of an entire people so that the museum becomes a prominent cultural beacon that tells the story of the Palestinian people's struggle until the date of President Arafat's martyrdom in 2004.

The book contains detailed information about the life and chapters of the Palestinian people's fight, as well as Arafat, who represented the first chapter. It also contains historical materials, testimony, rare images, films, interviews, excerpts from his journals, and testimonies gathered from other freedom fighters.

Taha emphasized that the book does not pretend to cover every element of the museum exhibit, but it is the product of collaborative work by a huge number of historians and performers, as well as the participation of organizations, corporations, and people. "The guide comes in seven chapters, an introduction of 220 pages, and is enhanced with pictures, maps, and documents, and includes more than 600 pictures and documents," Taha, the guide's editor, stated.

 

According to scholar and historian Nazmi Al-Jubeh, the conflict's narrative began three thousand years ago, reaching the Palestinian narrative whose components were won on a worldwide scale, and this narrative continues. Our Palestinian narrative is still in its early stages, and we have not been able to convey it as effectively as we could.

Al-Jubeh went on to say that the story of the Yasser Arafat Museum is a model for dealing with a specific historical moment in which we face the stage of battle with the Zionist movement. He added that the true story of Yasser Arafat cannot be presented without placing him in the historical framework of the Palestinian conflict, since he plays a vital part in this narrative.

He emphasized that one of the duties of this national museum is to insist on telling the Palestinian struggle primarily via Arafat and others whose roles cannot be dismissed.

According to Al-Jubeh, this book is not only an accomplishment but also a cornerstone of the objective Palestinian narrative that must not be lost.

Ayman Odeh, a member of the Yasser Arafat Foundation's Board of Trustees, emphasizes the importance of highlighting the Palestinian national and revolutionary process,  the Yasser Arafat and Darwish Museums as well as the National Library are prominent institutions participating in that

According to Odeh, "We as a people need more than self-confidence, and this museum, which is complex and comprehensive, is the first of its kind to preserve the biography of an Arab leader, and this is a reason for pride."

Odeh also argues that the Zionist movement built large museums within the occupying state, but there are fundamental differences between real museums and artificial ones. The Yasser Arafat Museum has seen more participation from people than Jewish museums. He added, that the museum, dedicated to Palestinian national culture, was not created for cultural elites but for the entire population, emphasizing that culture is a powerful internal front for many people, and whoever hasn't been vanquished culturally hasn't yet been conquered.

Odeh emphasized Yasser Arafat's role as the longest chapter in Palestinian history and the father of Palestinian patriotism, thus naming the museum after him. The museum is dedicated to Palestinian national culture, crucial in discussing Palestinian identity and challenging the Zionist movement.