Locals hit streets as jubilant parade held in Arab Israeli town to mark Mubarak ouster

Latest Update: 02.11.11

Jubilant Arab Israelis hit the streets of the northern town of Taybeh Friday evening to celebrate Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak's resignation earlier in the day.


A parade was being held at the center of the city accompanied by music, fireworks and firecrackers, as overjoyed residents poured into the streets and broke into dance.

"There is great joy here," one local resident said. "It's been a while since we had such celebration in town."



Meanwhile, a protest organized by the Balad party for Saturday will also turn into a major celebration and is expected to draw large crowds.



An Egyptian opposition leader is expected to address the rally directly from Cairo.




"The revolution's victory is a historic and constitutive moment in the history of the Egyptian Arab people and of the Arab nation in general," a Balad official said. "It is a moment where the people's desire and aspiration for liberty, justice and democracy had won."





The Arab jubilation in Israel follows similar sentiments across the Middle East, as residents of the region celebrate the resignation of Egypt's longtime ruler and hail the "Egyptian people's victory. Fireworks and festivities have been reported in Beirut and in Gaza earlier Friday, with Hamas, Hezbollah and Iran praising Egyptians for their "great victory."



Hassan Shaalan reported to the story




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