Dec 15, 2014

Palestinians of the village of Majd al-Krum were glued to their TV sets Dec. 13. One of the villagers, Haytham Khalayleh, was a finalist in the most popular TV show in the region — "Arab Idol." The interest of a community in stardom of one of their own is not unusual, but the situation of Majd al-Krum is unique. This Palestinian village in the Galilee is part of the State of Israel and its entire population holds Israeli passports and participates in Israeli elections.

Khalayleh and fellow contestant Manal Musa participated in "Arab Idol" and reached the MBC studios in Beirut thanks to the assistance of the Palestinian government in Ramallah. Palestinian passports were issued to the two Israeli citizens, which allowed them to enter Lebanon and compete in the singing contest.

Makbula Nassar, a Palestinian activist from the Galilee town of Arabba al-Batouf, told Al-Monitor that by appearing on the leading Arab talent show every week for over three months, the Palestinian contestants set a record. “They broke decades of isolation and allowed us Palestinians to connect with our natural Arab surroundings,” she said.

Barhoum Jarisa, a cultural critic, agreed to the importance of the event, but insisted in an interview with Al-Monitor that every period has its accomplishments. “Politicians had their achievements, TV and cinema talents had their day in the sun and now in the age of the Internet and social media, Haytham and Manal were able to make a breakthrough,” he said. Jarisa recalled iconic figures such as poets Mahmoud Darwish and Samih Qassem, as well as writer Emile Habibi and film directors Elia Suleiman, Hany Abu-Assad and Michel Khleifi as some Palestinian talent with Israeli citizenship.

Nassar argued that the majority of talented Palestinians from Israel made it big in Europe, not the Arab world. “In the Emirates, our poets were called Israelis and disqualified. In Egypt film directors were not allowed to compete for prizes because they were Israelis. This is the first time that Palestinians from Israel appeared alongside Arab talent and were given the respect they deserve,” she said.