DescriptionBest known for winning the second season of Arab Idol in 2013, Mohammad Assaf became an international pop star and a symbol of hope and resilience for the Palestinian people. Assaf was born in Libya, and grew up in Gaza’s Khan Younis refugee camp. It took Assaf days to travel from Gaza to Egypt to audition for Arab Idol. By the time he reached the auditions, the doors were closed—so he jumped over the wall. Even then, he couldn't get a number to audition, sitting hopelessly with other contestants waiting their turn. Assaf began singing to the contestants, and another Palestinian, Ramadan Abu Nahel, gave him his number saying, "I know I won't reach the finals but you will." Indeed, Assaf reached the finals, and in his winning performance sang his own song entitled "Ali al-keffiyeh" (“Raise The Keffiyeh”)—calling on all Palestinians to raise their keffiyeh and unite. When Assaf was declared the winner of Arab Idol, massive celebrations and festivities were held on the streets of Gaza City, East Jerusalem, Nablus, Ramallah, Bethlehem, Khan Younis, Nazareth, Lebanon and Jordan. Assaf is famous for performing while wearing the Palestinian keffiyeh. The keffiyeh in the museum’s collection is a modern iteration, signed by the singer himself and showing a printed image of the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem. The scarf features macrame tassels of the Palestinian flag on each end of the scarf. The Arabic calligraphy above and below the Dome of the Rock states “القدس نحن قادمون,” that directly translates to “Jerusalem, we are coming.”