U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas discuss Arab Idol June 30, 2013 (photo: Jacquelyn Martin/AP)
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry was shuttling between Israel/Palestine on his fourth diplomacy junket to region to “jump-start negotiations”. Sunday morning he met with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. Guess what they discussed?
The meeting at the Palestinian presidential compound in Ramallah began shortly after 11 a.m. with small talk about a 23-year-old male wedding singer from a Gaza refugee camp who recently won the Arab world’s top TV contest. Mohammed Assaf was crowned “Arab Idol” last week…..
“I heard you watched television, you watched the show,” a cheerful Kerry told Abbas…
“It’s a big deal … It was a lot of fun to watch. It was nice to see everybody feeling good, coming out, celebrating,” [Abbas] said.
A reporter asked Kerry how the talks were progressing, but the secretary only waved, ending the photo-op.
In more important news, thousands of fans waited in the sweltering heat to catch a glimpse of Mohammed Assaf in Dubai on Saturday.
Thousands swarmed to catch a glimpse of Mohammed Assaf in Dubai June 29, 2013(photo: Abdel Krim Kallouche/Gulf News)
Assaf is in Dubai recording a television show at the Middle East Broadcasting Center (MBC) that will be broadcasted over Ramadan.
Mohammed Assaf performs for fans in Dubai June 29, 2013 (photo: Al Arabiya)
Throngs of adoring fans waited in front of the MBC office while his recordings blasted throughout the parking lot (video), and then he took to the stage and sang, and offered some inspiring words too:
Assaf has promised to stand true to his laurels as a Palestinian and a refugee. “I have lived through the occupation and I belong to a nation and a country that has been under occupation for over 60 years and I will never forget the suffering of the Palestinian people,” Assaf told Al Arabiya English…
“I live the Palestinian cause every day. I was brought up in the Palestinian camp of Khan Younis and I know what it feels like to suffer. Trust me I will use my music, my singing, my art and my fame to give justice to the Palestinian cause,” Assaf said.
His words are truly inspiring…….. So is his smile, his joy, the enormous bouquet, the huge crowd and his keffiyeh.
Thanks Annie.
These fake peace talks are created by people who could care less about screwing the Palestinians again.Palestinian feelings or disappointment matters not one bit to these heartless morons.
May they all be damned.
Assaf, inspiring. This not so much: http://www.breakingthesilence.org.il/testimonies/videos/74845
I wish I could get Kerry to view it. I wonder if he’s ever been to the web site or heard about the group. I doubt it.
May I just say that that picture makes me giggle only because look @- the American flag, and then see the Palestinian one…………… It’s tragically funny. Then check out the giant flags behind Kerry and Netanyahu in their photo op on another post here–
“Kerry’s 3 a.m. diplomacy is greeted with skepticism, scorn, ridicule”
You can’t make this stuff up!