Dr. Sa’eb Erekat (1955-2020)
Palestine Liberation Organization Secretary-General Dr. Sa’eb Erekat was an enthusiastic supporter of the organization’s graduates; three of his four children are Seeds.
His work as the lead Palestinian negotiator made him a role model for Seeds and motivated many graduates to pursue careers in mediation and negotiation.
Erekat addressed Seeds at a variety of events, including the 1998 Villars Middle East Youth Summit in Switzerland, the 2007 Negotiation Summit in Neve Shalom – Wahat al-Salam, a 2011 Palestinian seminar following his return from helping make the historic Palestinian bid for statehood at the United Nations, and the GATHER Community Day Palestine event in Jericho in 2016.
“After the flood hit Jericho, not one of my Israeli counterparts in the peace talks called to ask about my family. But 21 Israeli kids, 13 to 15 years old, called my daughter. Every single one of the kids from Seeds of Peace called Dalal to ask if she was okay, to see if we were okay. This is the future.”