The two finalists of Super Star 2, the second of whom is a Palestinian, will learn their fate tonight when the result of a week's frenzied voting by telephone, text message and e-mail throughout the Arab world is announced on the Lebanese-made television programme.
And if the Palestinians don't win? Dire Revenge[tm]!
Palestinians are enraged that Col Gaddafi - previously a reliable champion of their cause - backed a costly nationwide publicity campaign and arranged for free telephone calls for Libyans wishing to vote, in an attempt to tip the scales in favour of Ayman Al'atar, a Libyan dental student.
Wael Abbas, a senior official from the Palestinians' own national telephone company, said: "Muammar Gaddafi is wrong to open all the telephone lines for free voting calls in support of the Libyan singer. It is unfair, and immoral. We categorically reject it. This is a competition about fair play and recognising great talent, but he's not playing fair."
Spoken without a trace of irony.
Last week, rumours spread throughout the West Bank and Gaza that Col Gaddafi - who has declared himself a fan of the programme - is in league with the Syrians, whose champion was eliminated earlier this month. Some Palestinians suspect that he plans further ruses to influence the outcome in the final hours.
It's always a plot, enemies in league with one another. This spat speaks volumes about their worldview.
In Nablus, hundreds of students at al-Najah University, where Mr Hassan, 27, studied music, took time off to vote, apparently oblivious to condemnation of Super Star 2 by Hamas, the terrorist organisation, as a "trivial and a harmful" diversion from real problems, and immoral to boot.
Maybe Hamas should enter its own contender?
Actually, the contest is over now, and the Libyan won. Or, I should say, the Palesteninans lost.
The two goobers:
