Liberation of Sinai between war and peace...a symposium delivered by Major General of Staff Hesham Al-Halabi at the Faculty of Al-Alsun

The Community Service and Environmental Development Affairs Sector at the Faculty of Al-Alsun, Ain Shams University, organized a symposium entitled “Liberating Sinai between War and Peace,” under the patronage of Prof. Ghada Farouk, Acting President of the University, Prof. Salwa Rashad, Dean of the Faculty, and under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Youmna Safwat, Vice Dean of the Faculty for Community Service and Environmental Development Affairs, during which Major General Staff Pilot Hisham Al-Halabi, Advisor to the Military Academy for Postgraduate and Strategic Studies, lectured on the occasion of the fiftieth anniversary of the October Victory.

The symposium activities were opened by Prof. Youmna Safwat, Vice Dean of the Faculty for Community Service and Environmental Development Affairs, stressed that the golden jubilee of the glorious October victories is one of the most important occasions through which we review our honorable history, develop the patriotic sense of students, and instill the concept of patriotism among our students, pointing out that fifty years have passed since the October victories and the succession of generations. It is necessary to remind the new generation of the heroism of their fathers and grandfathers and build the character of the hero within them so that the grandchildren can continue the glories of their predecessors and inspire determination and fighting spirit in various fields in order to achieve successes at various levels.

During his speech, Major General Pilot Staff officer Hesham Al-Halaby said that with the passage of fifty years since the glorious October victories, we will find on the Internet many false information about the war that the Israeli side aims to plant in the minds of new generations in an attempt to lessen the burden of their defeat at the hands of the great Egyptian army.

He asked a vital question: Why did Israel occupy it in 1967, since Israel’s strategic depth is very small, representing no more than 7 kilometres? From a military standpoint, it is a major obstacle. Militarily, if they fought within it, they would be defeated and the Israeli state would be destroyed. Therefore, they waged wars and occupied lands outside their lands. These are correct military theories, so they implemented those ideas on June 5 and occupied the lands of four Arab countries, including Egypt, thus occupying the entire Sinai.

The Israeli side also stationed themselves at the blockade of the Suez Canal and developed a fire plan. They used “napalm” pumps to ignite water in moments at a temperature of 1200 degrees. They created an earth blockage 20 meters high with places for tanks and artillery on top of it, which is the second defensive line. They also established a third defensive line, which is The Bar Lev Line, which is a fortified fence composed of layers of steel, iron, and a railway line, with unnatural fire openings, is the Israeli security theory.

Regarding the results of the 1973 war, he explained that Israel had the latest American weapons, and we possess an old Russian defensive weapon from World War II, and the world refuses to give the defeated a weapon, which is a global rule, but we were able to break global military theories with an old defensive weapon, which is what made them sit down for negotiations, return to the land, and sign an agreement. Peace be upon them.

He pointed out that the liberation of Sinai was not completed by war alone, as an American committee (WSAG) was formed, headed by the President of America, to come to the rescue of Israel, and a continuous air and sea bridge was established to support Israel immediately, during which advanced military equipment weighing 22 thousand tons was transported by air and 85 thousand tons via sea transportation, so we are fighting America alongside Israel, and America has sent strategic reconnaissance planes to know the locations of the fighting.

He continued his speech, pointing out that from the beginning of the war, a ceasefire was presented five times to President Sadat, so he became aware of America’s plan to destroy Egyptian weapons on the ground to impose America’s conditions during the negotiations.

He pointed out that the peace treaty approved the commitment of both sides to peace in the Middle East in accordance with the land for peace treaty, and it means that Sadat made them sign an agreement regarding the countries of the Middle East and the Arab countries neighboring Israel, and Egypt regained the Sinai with full sovereignty.

The symposium witnessed great interaction from the students, who asked questions and were answered by Major General Pilot staff officer Hesham Al-Halaby, and in conclusion, Prof. Youmna Safwat, Vice Dean of the Faculty for Community Service and Environmental Development, honored the guest and handed over a shield and certificate of appreciation in honor of his pioneering contributions to the symposium.