PRETORIA, December 3, 2022 – On behalf of President Mahmoud Abbas, Palestine’s Ambassador to South Africa, Hanan Jarrar, today conferred the Grand Star of the Order of Jerusalem upon South Africa’s Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Dr. Naledi Pandor.

The Grand Star of the Order of Jerusalem is the second-highest honor awarded by the President of the State of Palestine to heads of government, ministers, envoys, and other distinguished figures.

Speaking at an event in Pretoria marking the 45th United Nations International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, Ambassador Jarrar expressed deep gratitude, on behalf of the Palestinian people and leadership, for South Africa’s unwavering support and solidarity with Palestine. She praised Minister Pandor’s diplomatic, political, intellectual, and humanitarian contributions, as well as her steadfast commitment to the universal values of justice, equality, and peace.

Ambassador Jarrar stated that President Mahmoud Abbas’s decision to bestow this high distinction upon Minister Pandor stems from her role in continuing the legacy of Nelson Mandela’s solidarity with the Palestinian cause, and for her principled recognition of Israel as an apartheid state.

The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) first called in 1977 for the observance of November 29 as the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People—the same date on which the Assembly adopted the Resolution on the Partition of Palestine.