Crowds gather in Ramallah to cheer Palestinian Olympic hero
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Hundreds of Palestinians from across the West Bank who gathered Friday night through early Satruday at Yasser Arafat Square in the center of Ramallah to watch live coverage of the opening ceremony of the London Olympic Games cheered as the Palestinian Olympic team walked in carrying the Palestinian flag. Mixed feelings of pride and happiness swept through the crowd who waited for more than three hours to watch the Palestinian Olympic team and the flag flying high among 205 flags of countries from around the world.The crowds applauded and cheered when judo player Maher Abu Rmeileh appeared on screen at the event organized by the British consulate in Jerusalem carrying the Palestinian flag followed by the rest of the Palestinian Olympic team. Abu Rmeileh, from Jerusalem, made history by becoming the first Palestinian to qualify for the Olympic Games based on merit in a competition in Japan.The Palestinian Olympic team included sprinters Woroud Sawalha from
Nablus who will compete in the women's 800 meters and Bahaa al-Fara from the Gaza Strip who will compete in the men's 400m.Swimmers Sabine Hazboun from Bethlehem will compete in the women's 50m freestyle swimming and Ahmad Gibril who was born in Egypt will compete in the men's 400m freestyle swimming. Gibril came third when he competed against four other swimmers in the competition that took place at noon on Saturday, which means he did not qualify for other swim competitions.Prime Minister Salam Fayyad and head of the Palestinian Olympic Committee Jibril Rajoub were in London for the opening ceremony and to give a boost to the Palestinian team.The Palestinian team is scheduled to compete on July 28 and 30 and August 3 and 8.M.H./M.S.
How do you feel about Palestine qualifying for the Olympics? Tell us your thoughts below.
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How amazing ! So happy for Palestine . Should they or should they not be... Be in the Olympics.... They are! They did it And more Palestinians will follow. We should wish the best for each other not bring each other down. we all deserve the best! you have not lived their lives so I wouldn't talk politics. They will always exist...
Mr. Charlie and Anonymous, Palestine is a nation in its own right. The Olympics should be bringing out the goodness of sportsmanship, clearly neither one of you have.
A nation that has been oppressed for decades see light in bring the world together through sport, but foolish people like you like to light the fire.
Palestine is a nation, a nation forever, I m sure the world with PURE hearts will be cheering them on.
The world is waiting for the Arab Spring to continue in PALESTINE.
@Anonymous -- Let's not forget that those Israeli athletes would never have died in 1972 had Israel simply met the freedom fighters' modest demands that 100 Palestinian political prisoners be freed in exchange for the athletes safe passage. In typical self-righteous fashion, Israel refused, negotiations broke down and chaos ensued. Long live the one true nation of Palestine and may it be freed of its long-suffered squalor and poverty under Israeli imperialism. Imagine what these athletes have gone through just to get to where they are today, without the privileges and special grooming of their Israeli counterparts... be proud, not hateful. And if you can't be proud, don't say anything at all.
Wonderful to see the palestinians at the olympics. The olympics is about bringing the world together and setting aside their political stands and uniting as one, humanity. So sad to note that their are still people in the world who dont wish good tidings on their follow man. Go team humanity!!
I am proud and moved for PALESTINE being a part of the Olympics this year. It is moments like this that bring hope and deserved awareness to a people across the globe. Sparking conversations such as these we are having right now on this blog. 'The very notion that they are 'Palestinian' should be sufficient grounds to disqualify them?' It is statements like this that are the very reason this moment is so important. This is a time to celebrate! Not hate.
1948.
A poet once asked in her poem 'where do refugee hearts go?' Well right now these hearts have excitement and hope. We should too! I do.
I was happy to see the Palestinians at the Olympics. They are a nation recognized by many although not all. Sixty years is long enough to wait. It is time for them to be free.
I feel that only nations should be represented at the Olympics. Those from areas not having statehood should compete under the olympic flag.
I disagree. Anybody should be able to play World Sports. It unfair for anybody not to include any ethnic group. There Political past shouldn't effect there ability to play in the Olympics. Its very unfair to be told you can't play for your own country with your own flag.
STOP PATRONISING, MR SPIEGEL. THE PALESTINIANS WOULD HAVE HAD A STATE MANY YEARS AGO IF IT WAS NOT FOR ISRAEL 'S ILLEGAL OCCUPATION. WE NO LONGER BUY INTO THAT CHEAP RANT UNDERCOVER OF WHICH MORE AND MORE LAND IS BEING STOLEN.
You gusy are wrong, they should compete! They have just as much rights as any of the other competitors! And they will have statehood soon! Freedom for Palestine!!!!
They should be competing as JORDANIANS. There IS no such nation as "Palestine," therefore the team has no business being amongst legitimate nations.
And let's not forget what they did in 1972, either. The very notion that they are "Palestinian" should be sufficient grounds to disqualify them.
Oh dear, you are trapped in a historical bind....so much has changed since then, like te end of Empire, for starters. Wake up. Perhaps you can begin with asking what israel achieved by the 1972 events and ever since then, setting up false flag attacks behind which they gain politically. The truth has a strange way of comiing out and those gains made under such pretexts will be lost, like garbage in the wind. Wait and see....and it certainly will not be the first time that this has happened. History is littered with endings....and new beginnings!