A rare occasion of joy in Palestine

Tens of thousands of jubilant Palestinians celebrated into the early hours of yesterday after a 23-year-old Gazan singer won the popular Arab Idol talent show that has captivated millions across the Middle East since March.
The meteoric rise of Gaza's Mohammed Assaf to snatch the top prize in the pan-Arab singing contest sparked an unprecedented outpouring of joy across the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, unifying an often divided public.
The handsome, tuxedo-clad singer immediately dedicated his win to "the Palestinian people, who have been suffering for more than 60 years from (the Israeli) occupation".
Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas crowned him a national goodwill ambassador, and the UN agency for Palestinian refugees named him their UNRWA Youth Ambassador.
As his name was read out, spontaneous celebrations broke out across Gaza and in the West Bank, where tens of thousands took to the streets, cheering and dancing, car radios blasting the traditional Palestinian song which propelled him to victory as people handed out sweets to passers by.