RAMALLAH, July 11 (JMCC) - The Palestine International Festival is set to open next week, featuring a wide range of international and Palestinian music and dance groups.

“The festival will bear the theme 'Palestinians’ right to water,' says Iman Hamouri, director of the Popular Art Center that organizes the annual festival, due to our suffering for lack of water resources, which are controlled by Israel.”

Headlining this year's festival -- the largest to be held in the occupied Palestinian territories -- are the German disco group Boney M, Algerian artist Cheb Faudel and a British rapper of Palestinian origins, Shadia Mansour. 
Also performing will be musician Tareq al Nasser and Rum Group, known for producing scores and soundtracks.

For the first time, the festival will hold events in the Israeli city of Haifa for Palestinians in Israel, says Hamouri.

“The participating bands meet the various tastes of the Palestinian public, whether old or young,” says Hamouri.

One of the festival's annual favorites is the El-Funoun Popular Dance troupe, which will open events with a debke routine corresponding with the festival's theme.

The Popular Art Centre headed by Hamouri was established in 1987 in order to strengthen the public's relationship with art and culture.

More than 200 employees will assist with the festival this year, held from July 19-24 in major Palestinian cities.