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Egyptian artist Mohamed Ramadan with Israeli artist Omer Adam and Emirati artist Hamad Al Mazrouei in a photo posted by Israeli army spokesman Avichai Adrai on his Twitter account.
Abdul Basir Hassan
BBC Cairo
The images of the Egyptian artist Mohamed Ramadan in one of them with the Israeli singer Omir Adam and the Emirati artist Hamad Al Mazrouei and in the other with the Israeli footballer Diaa Sabaa and in a third with the Israeli businessman Eilad Tesla caused widespread controversy. Reach in Egypt and beyond.
Emirati artist Hamad Al Mazrouei, who is known for his support for the normalization of his country’s relations with Israel, posted the image of Ramadan, putting his arm around Adam’s neck with a smile at the top. of the three faces, in his personal account on the social network “Twitter” accompanied by the comment of his text “The most famous artist”. In Egypt, with Israel’s most famous artist, Dubai brings us together “, before Al-Mazroui later erased it.
The controversy increased with the reissue of the official Arabic page of the Israeli government on the social network Facebook. The same image is accompanied by a comment that reads: “Art always unites us … Egyptian star Mohamed Ramadan with Israeli singer Omir Adam in Dubai.”
Then Israeli army spokesman Avichai Adrai returned the same image and wrote: “How beautiful is the art, music and peace! Great Egyptian artist Muhammad Ramadan with brilliant Israeli artist Omir Adam in Dubai.”
Additional Ramadan photos with Israelis
With the first reactions to the photo, Al-Mazrouei deleted it before reposting it later, but Adam came back and posted another photo (selfie) of him with Ramadan with Ramadan, and they both wrapped the other arm and had to comment “Mafia Mafia “, referring to one of the famous Ramadan songs.
In response to the harsh criticism leveled at him, Ramadan posted a video clip on his Instagram account commenting on the photo he had collected with Adam and Al-Mazrouei, in which he said, before later deleting it, “I don’t know. I’m viewing who we are all human beings with. Anyone who imagined with me did not refuse … “. “
Ramadan added in the same video: “We are all human beings, and I cannot ask anyone who wants to be photographed with me about their nationality, color or shape … I don’t care about your name, your color, or your birth, I worry about a person, even if he doesn’t have a title … Trust in God is success. “
Meanwhile, Israeli footballer Diaa Sabaa as well as Elad Tesla posted separate photos of each of them with Ramadan through their social accounts, increasing criticism of Ramadan, as some accused him of supporting and supporting the ” normalization “with Israel.
Syndicate is waiting for a Ramadan declaration
Ashraf Zaki, head of the acting professions in Egypt, commented on the Ramadan photos with Adam that Ramadan, who is in the United Arab Emirates at the time, told him that he did not know who Adam was before the photo was taken. and denied that he knew in advance that he was Israeli.
Zaki added in televised statements that Ramadan told him over the phone: “I did not know who is who, I was in an Arab country and I photographed hundreds of photos, and I am not obliged to ask everyone I imagine to tell you their nationality, I am in an Arab country, I’m not going to (Israel … one came and visualized me as hundreds “.
Zaki ruled out that Ramadan was “betrayed by his intelligence”, stating that the Union will convene Ramadan upon his return to Cairo to present a “statement” of what he told him in his phone call as a documented statement to be presented to the opinion. public.
Zaki said that accusing and investigating an artist “must have elements that must be met” before summoning the artist for the investigation, and that he will be heard before the Trade Union Council upon his return to Egypt “within a day or two”.
The union, whose membership is a condition for the official profession of acting in Egypt, had previously removed a member’s name from its registries for its public support for normalization with Israel.
Angry reactions and rejection of normalization
Social networks were filled with many comments rejecting the images and very critical of Ramadan. Many of his pioneers accused him of promoting normalization with Israel, especially since the photographs were taken in the Emirates, which were among the three Arab countries that announced the start of normal relations with Israel during the last two months, along with Bahrain. and Sudan.
Egypt had signed a peace agreement with Israel since 1979 and the two sides exchanged diplomatic missions and participated in various aspects of political and economic relations since then, but a large number of Egyptians, professional unions, institutions and many other civil entities refused. to normalize relations with Israel.
Former member of the Syndicate of Egyptian Journalists, Gamal Fahmy, denounced the images showing Ramadan with Israelis and considered what Ramadan did as part of the “normalization pressures with symbols of Arab and Egyptian soft powers” practiced by Israel.
A copy of the normalization images.
“It is a shameful image of normalization, an unfortunate and nauseating act, the truth of an artist with a fan base,” Fahmy added in a telephone interview with the BBC.
And Fahmy added: “The comforting thing is that there is not a great Egyptian or Arab artist of great value who has been involved in some form of normalization and all the incidents over a period of forty years have not exceeded one or two cases, all are very marginal … Unfortunately, Muhammad Ramadan was put on This little list. “
Fahmy adds: “I personally accept any apology as long as it is for the truth and for our patriotic and national sentiments, and I accept your apology if I did not know, as he said, the nationality of the person who took the photo with him beforehand.”
Normal behavior
However, Emad Gad, a former member of the Egyptian parliament, journalist and head of the Center for Strategic Studies in Al-Ahram, said that there is exaggerated “noise” as a result of this photo, indicating that Egypt signed a normalization agreement with Israel forty years ago.
Gad added that he views the Ramadan photos with Adam and other Israeli celebrities as “normal behavior,” noting that Ramadan “lived through a period where there were no wars or tensions between Egypt and Israel. On the contrary, it lived through a period where the one that an Arab embarked on normalization with Israel, in addition to the Emirates that left. ” Pictures of her “.
And Jad added that he imagines that the events surrounding Ramadan in the United Arab Emirates made the occasion of taking these photographs a “natural event.”
Regarding the possibility of Ramadan apologizing, Gad said that “Ramadan may be affected by his lack of political experience because of this uproar, and he will apologize, and perhaps those who reject his behavior will see enough apology because it will dissuade others. to embark on that plan. “
But he emphasized his reservations about that step if it happened, saying: “I refuse to apologize that we cannot fully capture our relationship and our region due to the problem of their owners. They did not agree with each other and do not sit together. Now the countries Arabs are looking for their individual interests. No one can blame them for that. “
