Deputy Minister of Information: Israel “steals Palestinian culture” including “folk songs,” “food,” and “dress”

"The Arab-American University held a conference to discuss the book The Forgotten Doors, led by Deputy Minister of Information and author of the book, Al-Mutawakkil Taha… Taha spoke about the nature of the Arab-Israeli conflict, the historical connection of the Palestinians to their land, about the claims upon which the Zionist movement bases itself to prove its right to exist in Palestine, and about the aspirations of the Jews in the places holy to Islam and Christianity, and their claims concerning the existence of the Temple at [the site of] the Al-Aqsa Mosque. He said, 'The occupation is, in an organized manner, stealing Palestinian culture and denying its existence and its belonging to the Palestinians, such as for example the folk songs, and popular Palestinian foods and dress, which it attributes to itself.'"