Palestinian students thank Cuba for their grants

Beirut, Dec 14 (PL) Nariman Al Haleem, Kassem Jomaa, and Issam Bekai thanked Cuba today for the possibility of studying on the island, as part of the government plan of annual scholarships to young Palestinians.

At the headquarters of the island's diplomatic mission in this capital, the beneficiaries received the corresponding files and visas to study medicine for the 2023-2024 academic year.

Accompanied by family and friends, the three students highlighted the support of the Cuban revolution to the cause of the Palestinian people, while emphasizing the humanism and solidarity of its people.

In statements to Prensa Latina, Issam Bekai emphasized the commitment to finish their studies on the island and return to Lebanon to assist the Palestinian refugees in the different camps of the Levantine nation.

Aged 18 and a native of the southern city of Saida, Bekasi said that, despite the sanctions and the U.S. blockade, Cuba provides selfless aid and support to the neediest countries.

On behalf of the family members, Rania Adel Bekai expressed her satisfaction and pride for the granting of a scholarship to her son, who will thus fulfill his dream of becoming a doctor and saving lives.

She also pointed out the bonds of brotherhood of the Cuban revolution with the Palestinian struggle throughout these decades, as it recognizes the injustice and the constant mistreatment of the Israeli occupation.

In this sense, the Chargé d'Affaires of the Caribbean embassy here, Emilio Pevida, reiterated the unconditional support to the cause of the Palestinian people and their right to a free, independent, and sovereign state.

He called on young Palestinians to take advantage of their studies, get closer to Cubans and share with them their culture and traditions, always under the humanist principles of the historic leader of the Cuban revolution, Fidel Castro.

Cuba gives each year about 50 scholarships to the Palestine Liberation Organization for young people in the occupied territories and refugees in Syria, Jordan, and Lebanon.

The history of international collaboration of the Cuban people in the educational field is a fundamental part of foreign policy since the triumph of the revolution on January 1, 1959, through the training of professionals from America, Africa, Asia, and Oceania.