Al-Qalam 
Consummate international diplomat and highly respected Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat who passed away this week of Covid19 complications was an ardent believer in the capacity of the Palestinians to chart their own course onto the path of progress and prosperity.
Many admired his wisdom and courage, his ability to make balanced decisions even in the most difficult and critical situations. He spent his life advocating for peace and human dignity for his people.
He was a towering global leader and an unwavering champion for peace and justice, a great leader and diplomat extraordinaire who had flown the flag for peace. He has done his deed, living his life to the fullest and inspiring a multitude of Palestinians to continue the struggle for justice.
The best we can do to honour his tireless efforts in promoting social and political justice in Palestine is to continue exposing the injustices that exist and call for a renewed sense of quality for the masses.
His life was spent in the service of the oppressed and exploited. He understood that true liberation can never be without the complete liberation of Palestine. It gives us a tiny thread of consolation that his memory has been preserved, immortalised in a significant way that will always be alive.
Saeb Erekat was blessed with prodigious gifts, formidable intellect, eloquence, farsightedness and confidence. He was literally and figuratively a towering political figure on the Palestinian landscape. He will go down in history as a stalwart who fought for peace against tremendous odds, in a world that forgot the cries of the Palestinian people.
The name Saeb Erekat has acquired, for more than one generation, the feel of permanence and awe which time confers on certain historical monuments in the consistence of purpose and the unique kind of dedication which he brought to the public life of the people of occupied Palestine.
He has left an indelible mark which will serve as a legacy that future generations will remember. He served his people with utmost distinction. His wise counsel on critical matters will never be forgotten. Saeb Erekat was a great patriot whose loss cannot be compensated.
May his departed soul rest in peace.
Farouk Araie
Benoni
