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Gaza Artists Union Defends Culture From Political Warfare

Palestinian artists have formed a new union in Gaza in response to declining support and funding of the arts amid continued infighting between Hamas and Fatah, reports Rami Almeghari.
Palestinian musicians play their musical instruments in Gaza city August 16, 2005 they prepare for celebrations marking Israel's pullout from the Gaza Strip. Israeli security forces poured into the largest Gaza settlement on Tuesday, clashing with protesters defying orders for Jews to leave the occupied territory by midnight or be forcibly evicted. REUTERS/Ahmed Jadallah  AJ/JJ - RTRKP9D

Roughly 600 Gazan artists held a conference in Gaza City on Feb. 28 to form a new Palestinian artists’ union in a bid to preserve their work. The gathering of the General Union of Palestinian Artists is the first of its kind to be held in Gaza in two decades.

The conference sought to address Gaza's neglected music and art scene, which has been hampered by war and Palestinian political division. Speaking to Al-Monitor, Yusri Almeghari, a member of the conference steering committee, said that the gathering concluded with a series of recommendations, including electing a 78-member board, which would involve all the political parties in the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO).

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