On Monday, August 4, 2025, Al-Muntada Hall at the Yasser Arafat Museum hosted the 16th meeting of the Board of Trustees of the Yasser Arafat Foundation, held in conjunction with the anniversary of President Yasser Arafat’s birth. The meeting was chaired by Dr. Mamdouh Al-Abbadi, with most members attending in person in Ramallah and others joining remotely from abroad. Hussein Al-Sheikh, Vice President of the Foundation, participated on behalf of President Mahmoud Abbas.

Dr. Al-Abbadi welcomed the participants, reaffirming the steadfastness of the Palestinian position, bolstered by strong Arab and international support, in confronting the ongoing genocidal war waged by the Israeli occupation, particularly in the Gaza Strip.

In his remarks, Hussein Al-Sheikh conveyed President Abbas's greetings and reiterated the President’s support for the Yasser Arafat Foundation, emphasizing that the Palestinian people and leadership deeply appreciate the solidarity of Arab nations and the international community in defending the Palestinian people's steadfastness on their land and their rejection of forced displacement and settler colonialism.

He stressed that the primary goals at this stage are to end the aggression, prevent forced displacement, ensure the flow of humanitarian aid, and uphold international legitimacy by ending the occupation and achieving the independence of the State of Palestine on the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital.

During the meeting, the Board reviewed and approved the report of the Board of Directors, presented by Dr. Ahmad Soboh, as well as the external auditor’s financial report. The Board also adopted the Foundation’s program of activities for the upcoming period.

The session included political contributions from several members, all emphasizing the urgent need to end the genocide in Gaza, stop the use of starvation as a weapon, ensure the delivery of medical and food aid, and achieve comprehensive national reconciliation under the umbrella of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) as the sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian people.

Members also stressed the importance of leveraging the growing international recognition of the State of Palestine in global forums to advance the Palestinian cause.