Cape Town – An Egyptian actor is set to go on trial in December following outrage in Egypt when a photo he took with an Israeli singer was posted on social media.
Mohamed Ramadan, will face trial in December for a selfie with Israeli celebrities. Prosecutors accuse Ramadan of causing “offence to the Egyptian people” with the pictures.
According to a report by news central, lawyer Tareq Mahmoud filed a lawsuit against Ramadan, saying the photo offended Egyptians, but it was not clear what the precise charge against him was.
The image of Ramadan embracing Israeli singer Omer Adam during a trip to the United Arab Emirates went viral on social media platform Twitter after Emirati journalist Hamad Al Mazrouei tweeted a photo of the star, writes Times of Israel.
The caption read, “The most famous artist in Egypt with the most famous artist in Israel, Dubai brings us together”.
According to local media, the photograph gained further traction on Twitter after it was retweeted by the State of Israel’s Arabic Twitter account under the caption “Art brings us together”.
'I Am Banned from Acting in Egypt'! Mohamed Ramadan's Next Series CANCELED Following Pictures with Israeli Singer Omer Adam#محمد_رمضان pic.twitter.com/9M1khfoYeE
— Al Bawaba Entz (@AlBawabaEntz) November 24, 2020
Meanwhile, on Tuesday reports emerged that the Egyptian Syndicate of Artists said on social media platform Facebook that it was suspending Ramadan’s membership until he is questioned by authorities.
The 32-year-old insisted he had not known the celebrities' nationalities.
Although Egypt and Israel signed a peace treaty in 1979, relations between the two nations remain tense.
According to the British news publication the Guardian, Egypt became the first Arab country to make peace with Israel in 1979, and the two governments work closely together on security issues.
However, many Egyptians are still deeply opposed to what they call “popular normalisation” with Israel.
This year, Sudan became the fifth Arab country to recognise Israel, following Jordan, Egypt, United Arab Emirates and Bahrain.
African News Agency (ANA)