Palestinian Declaration of Independence Day commemorates November 15, 1988, when the Palestinian National Council in Algiers unilaterally declared the establishment of an independent State of Palestine with Jerusalem as its capital.
On November 15, 1988, during the 19th extraordinary session of the Palestinian National Council (PNC) convened at the Club des Pins in Algiers, Chairman Yasser Arafat read aloud the Palestinian Declaration of Independence (Wathiqat al-Istiqlal). Poetically penned by legendary Palestinian poet Mahmoud Darwish, the declaration rooted Palestinian sovereignty in international law, referencing UN Resolution 181 (1947), the natural rights of the Palestinian people on their ancestral homeland, and their right to national self-determination. The historic document accepted United Nations Security Council Resolutions 242 and 338, signaling an acceptance of the two-state framework and opening the door to international diplomatic recognition. Within weeks, dozens of sovereign nations officially recognized the State of Palestine, which today is recognized by over 145 UN member states.
