An early pilot · A community project
QADIYA is an independent, noncommercial community project: an archive of Palestine’s history, built for the cause and open to everyone.
This is an early pilot. Its records were gathered with AI help from cited sources and are still being checked, so don’t rely on them yet, and tell us if something is wrong.
We’re looking for people and organisations to build it with us: historians, archivists, translators, designers, developers, and partners who can support the work.
عرفات يخاطب الجمعية العامة للأمم المتحدة
Exact day13 November 1974
New York
On 13 November 1974 Yasser Arafat, chairman of the PLO, addressed the UN General Assembly on the question of Palestine, ending: “Today I have come bearing an olive branch and a freedom-fighter’s gun. Do not let the olive branch fall from my hand.”
Translated the speech for the UN
Attributed to Institute for Palestine Studies (Interactive Encyclopedia of the Palestine Question, biography)
Spokesman of the PLO’s delegation to New York
Attributed to Institute for Palestine Studies (Interactive Encyclopedia of the Palestine Question, biography)
Addressed the General Assembly as chairman of the PLO
Attributed to Institute for Palestine Studies (biography by Maher Charif)
Linked context in the legacy record
Arafat spoke to the General Assembly in New York on 13 November 1974, on the question of Palestine. He ended: “Today I have come bearing an olive branch and a freedom-fighter’s gun. Do not let the olive branch fall from my hand. I repeat: do not let the olive branch fall from my hand.”
Link to this chapterPalQuest · Institute for Palestine Studies · section: Closing passage
Original-language quotation · enToday I have come bearing an olive branch and a freedom-fighter’s gun. Do not let the olive branch fall from my hand.Link to this citationPalQuest · Institute for Palestine Studies · section: Closing lines
Original-language quotation · arلقد جئتكم يا سيادة الرئيس بغصن الزيتون مع بندقية ثائر.. فلا تسقطوا الغصن الأخضر من يدي.The Arabic original of the closing words the English chapter quotes in translation.
Link to this citationSources & evidence
Contextual sources are further reading. Precise supporting passages appear alongside the chapters.
document · PalQuest · Institute for Palestine Studies
The speech’s text, Interactive Encyclopedia of the Palestine Question (Institute for Palestine Studies).
Reference metadata and an original summary only. No permission to copy or host the source’s text, photographs, audio or video is asserted.
photograph · Wikimedia Commons
The photograph shown with this event: Yasser Arafat at the United Nations, 1974.
Public domain: the Library of Congress lists no known restrictions on publication for Bernard Gotfryd’s photographs.
document · PalQuest · Institute for Palestine Studies
The speech’s Arabic text, from which the Arabic chapter quotes its closing words.
Reference metadata and an original summary only. No permission to copy or host the source’s text, photographs, audio or video is asserted.
13 November 1974 · day
11-13 · occurrence
Anniversary of the documented date.
EVERY RECORD IS PART OF A LARGER STORY
PersonEdward Said participated in EventArafat addresses the UN General Assembly
Role: Translated the speech for the UN
Attributed to Institute for Palestine Studies (Interactive Encyclopedia of the Palestine Question, biography).
PalQuest · Institute for Palestine Studies · supports · section: The biography’s chronology: “Said Translates Arafat’s Speech for the UN”
Evidence version:palquest-edward-said-biography:v1References show the basis of this connection; their count is not a measure of independent corroboration.
PersonShafiq al-Hout participated in EventArafat addresses the UN General Assembly
Role: Spokesman of the PLO’s delegation to New York
Attributed to Institute for Palestine Studies (Interactive Encyclopedia of the Palestine Question, biography).
PalQuest · Institute for Palestine Studies · supports · section: “Al-Hout was the spokesman of the PLO delegation that traveled to New York in November 1974 when Yasir Arafat addressed the United Nations General Assembly.”
Evidence version:palquest-shafiq-al-hout-biography:v1References show the basis of this connection; their count is not a measure of independent corroboration.
PersonYasser Arafat participated in EventArafat addresses the UN General Assembly
Role: Addressed the General Assembly as chairman of the PLO
Attributed to Institute for Palestine Studies (biography by Maher Charif).
PalQuest · Institute for Palestine Studies · supports · section: The paragraph on his speech of 13 November 1974
Evidence version:palquest-arafat-biography:v1References show the basis of this connection; their count is not a measure of independent corroboration.