"..While In Cairo, I finally found out that Israel is an occupying state .."

"... The people of the second category object to any kind of normalized relations with Israelis in order for them to understand that the Egyptians do not accept Israel's belligerent presence in the region as self-evident. The emphasis here is on "belligerent," not "presence." They think that by rejecting any contact with Israeli citizens, the latter will realize that their rule over the Palestinians - and everything that entails - is not normal: land grabs; the siege on Gaza; shelling, killing and injuring civilians; the refusal to acknowledge responsibility for the existence of the Palestinian refugees...."