Cairo: Celebrated Egyptian singer Hany Shaker has condemned a reported use of his photo and a hit song in an Israeli media campaign aimed at whitewashing the Israeli police’s image in occupied Palestinian territories.
Over the past few days, websites showed billboards carrying lyrics from Shaker’s famous song “Ghalta” (Mistake) along with his photo in an Israeli-occupied Palestinian town. The quoted part of the song goes “I made you feel secure and gave you tenderness.”
The ploy is reportedly aimed at luring Palestinians into backing Israeli security moves.
“The use of my photo and song in this way is rejected. It offends me and the Egyptian art,” Shaker said in a statement on his Facebook page.
“I feel angry for two reasons. First, I refuse that the occupier uses my works in anything. Second, I feel this behaviour implies underestimation of the Palestinian citizen because the song is emotional in the first place.”
The 64-year-old crooner is known for his staunch backing for Palestinians. In January, he went to Palestine where he performed at well-attended concerts and met Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.
“My position regarding normalisation of ties [with Israel] does not deviate from the Egyptian consensus in all syndicates and political parties. They completely reject it and make [normal ties] hinge on the fulfilment of fair and comprehensive peace in the region,” Shaker said.
Egypt was the first Arab country to sign a peace treaty with Israel in 1979. However, anti-Israel sentiment still runs high in this country of 93 million people. Members of professional unions are banned from having contacts with Israelis.
A lawyer for Shaker said he would take legal action against the reported Israeli manipulation of the song.
“This is a wicked and satanical attempt for spreading indirect normalisation,” lawyer Yasser Qantush said in a statement.
Qantush added that he would lodge a legal complaint with Egypt’s chief prosecutor and sue the Israeli embassy in Cairo. The moves are seen as symbolic as Egyptian lawyers usually shun filing lawsuits at Israeli courts in compliance with the ban on dealing with Israelis.
There has been no official comment on the uproar in Egypt or Israel.
