May 3, 2016

• Reality TV Chooses a New Palestinian President – Asaf Gabor
  The popular Palestinian reality show “The President,” produced by theMa’an network, is completing its second season. Some 1,200 candidates aged 20-40 applied to compete to become “President of Palestine.” The public chooses the winner from the final four candidates, via text messages. In the first season, Hussein al-Deik, 31, from Ramallah, won with 67,000 votes.
  In a recent interview, al-Deik said, “I come from a place where there are daily cooperative activities with Israelis. We shop by them and they shop by us. We work with them in factories and in their towns.”
  Q: If you were chosen President of Palestine in reality, what would you change?
  Al-Deik: “I would change the curriculum in the schools, and I’d have the students learn Hebrew so they’ll be able to speak with the Israeli side. I would end the incitement heard every Friday in the mosques, and prevent the hatred toward Jews in the local media.”  (Makor Rishon-Hebrew, 28Apr2016)