Turkish agencies and NGOs have invited the uncle of Fawzi al-Juneidi, a Palestinian boy detained by the Israeli authorities last week, to a pro-Jerusalem rally to be held Sunday in Ankara.
On Thursday, Rashad al-Juneidi received the invitation to the upcoming rally, which is being organized by the Memur-Sen and Hak-Is trade unions, Turkey's IHH Humanitarian Relief Foundation, the Anatolian Youth Association, and the Cihannuma and ONDER foundations.
Fawzi al-Juneidi, 16, has become a symbol of ongoing Palestinian protests against U.S. President Donald Trump's decision last week to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital.
An Anadolu Agency photographer managed to capture al-Juneidi's dramatic arrest last week and the photo of the blindfolded youth has since become an iconic portrayal of the ongoing resistance against Israel's occupation.
The teenager was detained last Thursday during clashes with Israeli security forces in the West Bank city of Hebron (Al-Khalil) after being beaten, dragged on the ground and blindfolded by soldiers.
Speaking to Anadolu Agency, the young man's uncle, Rashad, said the invitation gave him "tremendous pleasure".
"I hope my visa application is approved and the Israeli authorities allow me to cross the border so that I might attend the rally in Ankara," he said.
"With this opportunity, I will be able to tell the world how our children are being mistreated by the [Israeli] occupation," Rashad added.
Jerusalem remains at the heart of the Israel-Palestine conflict, with Palestinians hoping that East Jerusalem -- occupied by Israel since 1967 -- might eventually serve as the capital of a Palestinian state.
