Samaritans conduct Passover offering
Samaritans conduct Passover offeringYaniv Nadav/Flash 90

Palestinian Authority (PA) Chairman Mahmoud Abbas has fired the PA governor of Shechem (Nablus) in Samaria, Ahram Rajoub.

Rajoub served in the post for the past two years, and before being the Shechem governor he held senior positions in the PA Security Forces.

The official reason for Rajoub being fired was not made public by the PA, although there is unofficial speculation.

According to the estimations, Abbas was angry at how Rajoub took part in an event offering the Passover sacrifice held by the Samaritans, together with MK Mickey Zohar (Likud) and MK Betzalel Smotrich (Jewish Home).

That anger comes despite the fact that Rajoub and other PA officials promptly got up and left the event after realizing that the MKs and IDF officials were also invited to the event.

"We respect and appreciate the Samaritan community and have been regularly sharing with them in joyous and sad events. We consider them part of the Palestinian people. But we can't accept the presence of settlers at the ceremony," Rajoub explained later.

After being fired, Rajoub wrote on his Facebook page that he was forced to leave Shechem which he served loyally.

He emphasized that at all periods of his term as governor, he didn't steal or abuse his position.