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Egyptians Oppose Normalizing with Israel

(Al-Ahram-Egypt) Dina Ezzat - Photographs of Egyptian actor and singer Mohamed Ramadan alongside an Israeli singer and a footballer in Dubai provoked an outcry back home. "I am banned from acting in Egypt," Ramadan posted. Ramadan claimed he was unaware of the identity and nationality of the figures who appeared with him in the picture, pointing out that he was attending a party in an Arab city after having been invited by an Arab businessman. Nasserist commentator Abdallah Sennawi noted, "The sentiments of Egyptians against all forms of public normalization are deeply embedded...and cannot be ignored for the sake of catching up with the mood of normalization that has taken over some Arab countries." A foreign diplomat based in Cairo said the campaign against Ramadan "is not just a reflection of public apprehension about Israel but a message being sent by Cairo about where it stands on the Gulf countries' hasty normalization moves. Clearly, the press campaign could not have happened without a nod from the state authorities, and it's undoubtedly a big campaign." Recently, Israeli commentators have said that while Israel could end up signing peace deals with every state in the Arab Gulf, when it comes to Egypt the psychological barrier seems too tough to crack.
2020-12-03 00:00:00
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