Amira Hass : Palestinian Mohammed Assaf wins Arab Idol - Haaretz Daily Newspaper
▻http://www.haaretz.com/news/middle-east/palestinian-mohammed-assaf-wins-arab-idol.premium-1.531385
Up to now Assaf has been wary of becoming a pawn in the hands of the Palestinian Authority leaders – who supported him from the start – against the Gaza government. Still, the Assaf phenomenon draws the limits of Hamas effort to discipline the population. In direct contrast to its miniscule artistic merits, Arab Idol demonstrated just how much the Palestinians are longing for a national hero, whose name and actions are associated with happiness, success and life, not pain, suffering and mourning.