Between Israel and Sheikh Salem al-Harsh: A story of courage and conviction
Sheikh Salem al-Harsh shaking hands with Golda Meir.. moments before shocking everyone with what he said next.
“As a proud Egyptian, I want to upset the Zionists once again this October, a month that always reminds them of a truth they keep trying to erase.”
On October 31, 1968, after the occupation of Sinai, Israel staged a grand plan to fool the world. They wanted it to look as if the people of Sinai wished to break away from Egypt and create an “independent state” that would later join Israel.
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Golda Meir herself attended the conference, smiling for the cameras, and beside her stood one of Sinai’s most respected tribal leaders, Sheikh Salem al-Harsh.
Israeli officials, led by Moshe Dayan, had already met with the sheikhs, showering them with money and promises. They thought they had won them over. But the sheikhs had secretly contacted Egyptian intelligence officer Mohamed al-Yamani, who asked them to keep up the act until the perfect moment.
The hall was packed with journalists, international media, and senior Israeli figures. Golda Meir watched proudly as Sheikh Salem stood to speak, certain that he would declare Sinai’s separation from Egypt.
But to their shock, he said:
“Sinai is Egyptian, every inch of it.
We will never accept any substitute for Egypt. You are nothing but an occupying force, and we reject your so-called independence.
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“The fate of Sinai lies only in Egypt’s hands.”
His words fell like thunder. The hall went silent, faces froze, and what was meant to be Israel’s great political show turned into a public humiliation. The Zionists were stunned, their plan exposed before the world.
In retaliation, they arrested and tortured over a hundred tribal elders. But Sheikh Salem managed to escape from Sinai to Jordan, in a covert operation led by Egyptian intelligence officer Saeed Lotfi.
This is one of those forgotten stories buried under years of propaganda and lies.
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