Social networking sites in Egypt witnessed a storm of anger after the publication of pictures of the actor Muhammad Ramadan embracing Israeli celebrities in Dubai, and activists launched the label "normalization is betrayal" to express their rejection of all forms of normalization with the Israeli occupation.
The beginning was with a picture published on Saturday by Emirati singer Hamad Al Mazrouei on Twitter, showing Ramadan embracing the Israeli singer Omir Adam under the title "Dubai brings us together", before deleting it later after a wave of severe criticism.
With a standing ovation, official Israeli pages re-published the photo, as it was published by the "Israel in Arabic" Twitter account under the title "Art always brings us together," while the official spokesman for the occupation army, Avichai Adrai, commented, "How beautiful is art, music and peace."
Israeli journalist Eddie Cohen expressed his happiness over Ramadan's photo, wishing that the Egyptian singer would perform some concerts in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, which he described as "the capital of Jerusalem," while analyst Shimon Aran called for stimulating cooperation in other fields.
Egyptian, Israeli and Emirati, what is the best peace.
Al Mazrouei with Egyptian and Israeli legend in Dubai.
Greetings from the star # Muhammad_Ramadan;
Number and that the Prince, I hope you will perform concerts soon on the shores of Tel Aviv and in the capital, Jerusalem.
pic.twitter.com/bDStkS6Fim
- Eddie Cohen דאדי כהן 🇮🇱 (@EdyCohen) November 21, 2020
🇮🇱🇪🇬
This is how normalization should be between Israel and the Arab Republic of Egypt.
Rather, we must see the revitalization of cooperation in other areas of life.
Emirati journalist Hamad Al Mazrouei @ uae_3G publishes a picture of the Egyptian star Mohamed Ramadan with the famous Israeli singer Omir Adam in # Dubai, may
God bless your evening with all
good pic.twitter.com/yz2MCMFB4h
- שמעון ארן Shimon Aran (@simonarann) November 21, 2020
Justifications and surprises
Ramadan initially tried to justify the picture, commenting on it, saying, "I do not care about your name, your color, nor your birth, I care about people."
But as the wave of anger escalated, Ramadan deleted his comment, before posting a video later on his Instagram page taking pictures with his fans, commenting, "There is no room for me to ask everyone about his identity, color, nationality, and religion."
The head of the acting professions, Ashraf Zaki, quoted Ramadan as saying that he did not know the identity of the person who appeared with him in the photos, despite the apparent intimacy that could not be an unknown person, according to the comments of some of the social media users.
Activists stated that Ramadan went to Dubai at the invitation of Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa bin Muhammad Al Nahyan, a member of the Emirati ruling family, and Solly Wolf, head of the Jewish community in the Emirates, and there he met the Israeli singer in a meeting that lasted for hours and during which Adam sang in Hebrew, and Ramadan shared the dance, expressing his willingness to normalize .
Surprises followed during the next hours, as a second picture appeared of Ramadan carrying the Israeli entrepreneur Eilad Tesla, and a third gathering with the Israeli soccer player Dia Sabaa, before video clips spread showing Ramadan attending a party in Dubai with the songs of the most famous song of the occupying entity "Hava Nagela" That Israelis have sung in their celebrations, since they received the Balfour Declaration in 1917.
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A post shared by Mohamed Ramadan (@mohamedramadanws)
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Egyptian star Mohamed Ramadan with Israel national football team player Dia Sabaa in Dubai 🇮🇱🇪🇬 pic.twitter.com/jjjn29bFmH
- Israel in Arabic (@IsraelArabic) November 21, 2020
Normalization is betrayal
The publication of the photos sparked an angry storm on social media over the past two days, and under the label "normalization is betrayal," activists denounced Ramadan's slide into what they described as the swamp of normalization with Israel, stressing that his position does not represent the Egyptian people, in all their categories, who reject normalization with the occupying entity.
Some saw that Ramadan's "fallen" art that encourages bullying and violence makes his rapprochement with the occupation entity not surprising, but they denounced that this is done under the slogan that he is an Egyptian artist.
The tweeters emphasized that the Egyptians have not forgotten Israel's crimes against the Egyptian people and Arab peoples, and will not forgive them or drift into the current of normalization with the occupation entity.
Activists have warned that the Israeli hospitality to the Egyptian actor's meeting with Israelis is an attempt to deceive the new generations and the young youth who represent most of the crowd of Ramadan, to attract them to the swamp of normalization.
However, the Israeli attempts appeared to be unsuccessful after being faced with thousands of comments from Egyptians rejecting normalization, prompting Israeli journalist Eddie Cohen to respond angrily, calling on those who rejected normalization, whom he described as "enemies of peace", to demand the Egyptian president or parliament to cancel the Camp David agreement.
Muhammad Ramadan does not represent us, nor Egyptian peace, nor Egyptian people's normalization with child killers, usurpers of land and truth
- Egyptian (@ mazlo3) November 21, 2020
Palestine Mesh Ahan policy afraid to defend Palestine and the
land of
my land every Arab Sharif and her case .. Above all ,
above all and
all of it underestimates our pride and our dignity has
no place among us,
# # Mamed_ramadan_jain Alttabie_khianh # # Quaom_alttabie Thia_velstin_arabah
# Mamed_ramadan
- Ziad (@ziaadhamed) November 22, 2020
To all Egyptians who are enemies of peace, why don't you ask your president or the Egyptian People's Assembly to cancel the Camp David agreement and save us what remains ... concluded ... The
Israeli flag flies in the heart of Cairo ... you do not want a good peace. Cancel the agreement, and God will not be able to do so.
The people in Israel will not cry if you cancel the agreement, believe me.
- Eddie Cohen דאדי כהן 🇮🇱 (@EdyCohen) November 21, 2020
Between Trika and Ramadan
Some have drawn to a comparison between the official hospitality and honor of Muhammad Ramadan in Egypt, despite his breach of the values of society, and the Egyptian football star Mohamed Abu Trika, who supports the Palestinian cause, of being chased, displaced and accused of terrorism.
Some did not rule out official parties standing behind Ramadan's meeting with the Israelis, or at least with their approval, especially since Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi was the first to welcome the normalization of relations and the signing of a "peace agreement" between the UAE and Israel.
There were widespread calls to boycott Muhammad Ramadan and cancel his follow-up on social media.
Others also demanded that it be removed from the Actors Syndicate in Egypt, as - according to the law of the three artistic unions: musical, theatrical, and cinematic - punishable by the cancellation of whoever is proven to have committed normalization with the Zionist entity.
The Representative Professions Syndicate issued a statement that began with affirming support for the rights of the Palestinian people and the union’s commitment to the decisions of the Egyptian and Arab artistic unions federations that reject normalization, noting the call for an emergency meeting this evening for the Technical Syndicates Federation to take decisive decisions.
For its part, local Egyptian media reported that the head of the acting professions, Ashraf Zaki, said that the crisis has escalated, as it is no longer limited to just a picture of Ramadan with an Israeli person as it appeared at the beginning, but rather shows the existence of videos, songs and other things.
As for Ramadan, he changed the picture of his official Facebook page and put a Palestinian flag on it hours before the association meeting to discuss the crisis.
Words may lie, but actions
always tell the truth
"Thank you for the stances"
that show us the truth of human beings, number
and the real 🆚️ the traitor # Muhammad_Ramadan
# Normalization_ Betrayal pic.twitter.com/H9Tsbbh4qx
- Hossam Gaber (@ 7ossam_Gaber70) November 22, 2020
The Egyptian revolution brought down the Israeli flag from the sky of Cairo on one of the days of God, and reminded them of the days of God, and the counter-revolution is the one who raised it, and the one who produced Muhammad Ramadan, the Israeli representative in the Emirates.
“Some of them are parents of others.” # Muhammad_Ramadan
- Salim Azouz (@ selimazouz1) November 21, 2020
Why are you surprised that # Muhammad_Ramadan is imagined with a Zionist?
This is one example of bullying and bandits in Egypt, waiting for him to do what?
These people do not have principles that only know money and fame!
This image is enough to boycott this person, for after he destroyed the minds of an entire generation, he is now destroying the constants and trampling on the martyrs of Egypt and the children of Palestine!
pic.twitter.com/NLbO8T3xml
- Anas (@ Anas46846540) November 21, 2020