As Egypt prepares to mark Sinai Liberation Day on 25 April, Ahram Online takes a look back at some of the headlines in state-owned Al-Ahram daily newspaper at the time of the 1973 war and the 1982 withdrawal of Israeli forces from the peninsula. Al-Ahram, 27 April 1982 Page 30 “Egyptian soldiers are greeted with cries of joy as they return to Rafah after 15 years.” “In Sharm El-Sheikh, the Bedouins came out to see the city they were denied access to over the last 15 years.” “Al-Ahram talked to members of Al-Mazina and Al-Tarabini tribes, who live in the mountains and valleys of Sharm El-Sheikh, Dahab, Nuweiba, Taba, Ras Nosrani and Ras Mohamed. They explained how at the beginning of the Israeli occupation in south Sinai, the Israeli government cancelled all Egyptian laws prior to 1967…. and how they forced Bedouins to migrate to the mountains and valleys, prohibited fishing in Suez and Aqaba Bay, and limited the Bedouins' movement. Now that Egypt has regained its sovereignty over the liberated parts of south Sinai, fear and tyranny are gone forever.”
Al-Ahram, 26 April 1982 Page 28 “Israel withdrew its last soldier from Sinai yesterday.” “The photo captures the Israeli flag being lowered in Sharm El-Sheikh.”
Al-Ahram, 25 April 1982 (Sinai Liberation Day) Page 26 “Victory of peace.” “The president lays flowers in commemoration of the martyrs that fought for this moment of victory.” “The moment of the raising of the Egyptian flag and lowering of the Israeli flag in Rafah and Sharm El-Sheikh by sunset.”
Al-Ahram, 10 October 1973 Page 26 “A grand day for the Egyptian Armed Forces.” “The Soviet Union representative (Jacob Malik) withdrew in protest at the speech of Tekwa at the United Nations Security Council's second emergency meeting.” “‘I cannot listen to the representative of murderers,' Malik exclaimed.” “American Jews raise 100 million dollars for Israel to maintain the war.” “The Zionist circles started to collect money to pay for war expenses in Israel. Yesterday alone they collected 20 million dollars.” “Kuwait calls for an emergency meeting of the Arab petrol countries.” “This meeting comes as a step to discuss the role of the Arabic petroleum in the current war in the Middle East.”
