Hundreds of Palestinians have returned to the Jerusalem Festival as the cultural celebration resumed after a three-year hiatus shaped by Israel's devastating war in Gaza.
The event, which will run for two months, opened on Sunday with a tribute to the late Lebanese musician Ziad Rahbani, a staunch supporter of the Palestinian cause.
At Yabous Cultural Centre, in the Israeli-annexed east of the city, the Jerusalem Arabic Music Ensemble played a selection of Rahbani's work.
"An evening dedicated to Ziad Rahbani represents a major part of our memory. Jerusalem needs this kind of event," filmmaker Yousef al-Salhi told AFP.
The Lebanese musician and playwright, the son of iconic singer Fairuz and a musical pioneer in his own right, died last year aged 69.
Throughout the evening, Rahbani's repertoire, from mawwal – slow Arabic free-form vocal music – to lively Levantine folk-pop, enthused the audience.
The last edition of the festival was held in the summer of 2023, before Israel's genocidal war in the Gaza Strip erupted following Hamas's Oct. 7 attack.
"We insist on coming back... Today we return to give people hope. The festival brings hope and brings people together," said musician Suheil Khoury, chairman of the board of the Yabous Cultural Centre.
The festival is now four decades old, though the city's tumultuous past means this is only the 30th edition, with several wars as well as the intifadas, or Palestinian uprisings, of the 1980, 90s and 2000s forcing it to pause.
The festival will continue with musical performances, cultural talks and art exhibitions taking place at various locations across east Jerusalem until Oct. 15.
"Everyone is thirsty for this kind of gathering amid the difficult circumstances we are going through – the genocidal war, restrictions on Jerusalem and the West Bank, and the violence being perpetrated against us," Mona al-Dajani, an academic researcher who attended the opening, said.
Moussa al-Qawasmi, a resident of east Jerusalem, was enthusiastic to attend an event promoting Palestinian culture.
"They (Israel) don't want us to exist, but no, we are always ready... we will continue to celebrate, sing and dance."
