Ramallah – Nihad Al Tawail
Twitter photo shows Raed Zidan climbing Mount Everest
Ramallah – Nihad Al Tawail
Raed Zidan, the first Palestinian to reach the summit of Mount Everest, has dedicated his climb to Palestinian political prisoners.
The 41-year-old, originally from the village of Qalqilya in the
West Bank, hoisted the Palestinian flag at the top of the mountain.
A passionate mountaineer, Zidan grew up in Kuwait, and currently divides his time between the United States and Dubai.
Speaking after the adventure, the Palestinian activist said he was keen to given a voice to the Palestinian people, and took on the challenge to highlight their plight to the world.
Hebrew newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth reported on Monday that four Arab mountain climbers, including a Palestinian activist mounted the flag of Palestine on Everest, describing event as a \"historical step.\"
Zidan was one of 35 foreigners, along with 29 Nepalese Sherpa guides, intent on reaching the summit and raising a million dollars to promote education in Nepal.
The newspaper noted that the Palestinian trekker was part of a group named Arabs With Altitude, which included two men from Qatar and Iran, and 25-year-old Raha Moharrak, who became the first Saudi Arabian woman to reach the world\'s tallest peak.
The quartet began their mission last April and reached the peak over the weekend.