Judge Ahmed El-Shazly of Supreme Administrative court in Egypt

Egypt’s Supreme Administrative Court: The Egyptian government should demand 1956 and 1967 POWs rights

On Saturday, Egypt’s Supreme Administrative court made headlines once again when it rejected the Egyptian government’s appeal against previous administrative court order obliging it to demand the rights of the 1956 and 1967 Egyptian POWs officially.

Judge Ahmed El-Shazly
Judge Ahmed El-Shazly of Egypt’s Supreme Administrative court 

The Supreme Administrative court headed by honourable Judge Ahmed El-Shazly upheld the March 2008 Administrative court’s ruling obliging the Egyptian government to demand the rights of the Egyptian POWs in the 1956 and 1967 wars.

In 2001, a group of  Egyptian POWs families and ex-POWs represented by lawyer and 1973 war veteran Wahid El-Oksori filed a lawsuit in front of the Egyptian administrative court demanding the Egyptian government to investigate the allegations against the Israeli Defense Forces “IDF”.

In March 2008, the administrative court issued its court ruling obliging the Egyptian foreign ministry to investigate the allegations.  Following that court order, the Egyptian government represented in the State Lawsuits authorities

The Egyptian government represented in the State Lawsuits authorities appealed the court ruling in front of the Supreme Administrative court.

Only on 21 January 2018, the Supreme Administrative court made its final verdict rejecting the Egyptian government’s appeal and upholding the 2008 court ruling.

The State lawsuits authority claimed in its appeal that the Egyptian government did not fail its duty. It said that ousted President Mubarak demanded Israel to investigate the allegations of killing the Egyptian POWs in 1995 and that the Israeli government formed a fact-finding committee to investigate the matter. That alleged fact-finding committee finished its work in 1998 but did not share its results with the Egyptian government according to the government’s representative in court.

The State lawsuits authority added that the Egyptian foreign ministry followed the Shaked documentary in 2007 and raised the matter with Israel as well as the Red Cross.  The government’s lawyer added in its appeal that Camp David accords and suspected that the families of the POWs are related to the POWs in the first place !!

According to the Supreme Administrative court’s reasoning that the documents presented to it that the IDF committed war crimes against Egypt and the Arab military and that the Egyptian government failed in prosecuting Israel criminally as well in demanding compensation international for the victims. 

Head of Supreme Administrative court Judge Ahmed EL-Shazly made headlines last week when the Supreme Administrative Court rejected the appeal of the Egyptian government against the Administrative court ruling in April 2016 annulling the Egyptian Saudi deal to redraw the maritime deal, which placed the Red Sea islands Tiran and Sanafir under Saudi Sovereignty.

Ironically, the State lawsuits authority brought up once again the jurisdiction of the Supreme Administrative Court in its lawsuit just like Tiran and Sanafir.

There has been no reaction from the Egyptian foreign ministry about this court ruling yet.

Ben-Eliezer and Mubarak in 2005

The infamous hero of Shaked affair, Ben-Eliezer passed away

On August 28, news came from Tel Aviv that former minister of defense and deputy prime minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer had passed away at a medical center. The 80-years-old Israeli official was suffering from kidney disease.

A screen shot from Rush Shaked
A screen shot from Rush Shaked

The Iraqi-born Israeli official gained hate in Egypt when Israeli war documentary “The Shaked spirit” or “Rush Shaked” was aired on an Israeli TV channel in March 2007, including testimonies of military veterans in the Shaked unit he headed in 1967 on how they killed 250 Egyptian POWs near Egyptian-Palestinian borders.

In an alleged U.S confidential cable sent from the U.S embassy in Cairo to Washington on 7 March 2007, it was detailed how Ben-Eliezer cancelled his visit to Egypt over the anger of the government of Egypt as well the anger of media.

Interestingly, according to Ben-Eliezer’s Wikipedia page, the Egyptian General Intelligence service warned him of coming to Egypt during that time otherwise he could be arrested.

The public anger during then in Cairo forced the Egyptian People’s assembly summoned the minister of foreign affairs then Ahmed El-Ghait to investigate the matter.

The Egyptian ministry opened an investigation into the documentary vowing to take strong steps if proven the Israeli guilt. It also released the transcript of the documentary in Arabic

The statements of the videos were clear that Egyptian POWs were killed despite they were not holding any arms and they were hiding according to the transcript released by the Egyptian ministry of foreign affairs to the Egyptian media in March.

In 2008, Ahmed El-Ghait stated that the investigation was still open till Israel would finish its investigation.

It is unclear to know the fate of the Egyptian investigations into the Rush Shaked documentary but Israel already made it clear that its veterans did not commit anything wrong as usual.

The Israeli ministry of foreign issued a statement in Arabic on March 7,2007 claiming that video stated those late Egyptian military were actually fighting combatants who had a battle and “both sides had battles and victims during that war”!!

The former Israeli minister of defense was proud of his very close friendship to Egypt’s ousted dictator and convicted ex-president Mohamed Hosni Mubarak, a thing which brought to him criticism sometimes in Israeli media ironically after 2011.

Binyamin Ben-Eliezer stated in August 2011 that he and current Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu offered political asylum to Mubarak and his family following his ouster but he declined because “he was patriot”.

Mubarak and Ben-Eliezer in Sharm El-Sheikh
Mubarak and Ben-Eliezer in Sharm El-Sheikh in January 2012. “Getty Images”

As a minister of infrastructure, Ben-Eliezer witnessed along with Mubarak in June 2005 the signing of a memorandum of understanding for supplying Israel with Egyptian national gas.

Mubarak’s long-time friend, Hussein Salem was the main Egyptian partner in this controversial deal.

Ben-Eliezer had a very legacy when it comes to Egypt and its POWs as Lebanon and its invasion and history won’t forget that.

History will also remember how the Mubarak’s administration had an opportunity to restore back some of the rights of the Egyptian POWs but it gave it up.

When people remembered the Egyptian POWs once again in Tiran

It has been awhile , it has been a lot of time. Just as one would think that the case of the Egyptian POWs is fading away with all what is going in Egypt from political changes, the case returns back in the most unexpected way.

In the past two months, there has been a huge controversy about the Egyptian Saudi deal to redraw the maritime borders. According to that deal , the Egyptian government gave up Tiran and Sanafir isles in Tiran strait to Saudi Arabia.

There has been a lot of debate as you may have known. Many Egyptians as well political figures, powers and parties rejected the deal. The deal is being disputed in front of the Administrative court and it is expected to be discussed by the Egyptian House of Representatives according to Constitution.

Now as there is a huge debate currently in Egypt about whether the two Red Sea isles are Egyptians of not, people began to share maps, legal documents and testimonies on how Egyptian soldiers were stationed on those two islands and that those soldiers did not fight for a foreign territory.

Yes , Egyptian soldiers were stationed on those two islands and according to a photo that had been found in Getty Archives those Egyptian soldiers were captured by Israeli forces at Tiran Isle in June 1967.  Read More

A new president and an old closed file

Today marks the 47th anniversary of the Six day war  “The 1967 war” in the Middle East , a war that changed the course of the region forever and as usual the Egyptian POWs file is always brought up shortly for the bitter memory.

Next Sunday a new elected president will swear in , this new president is former Field Marshal Abdel Fattah El-Sisi whom is regarded in the eyes of many as the New Nasser so one must wonder if the file of Egyptian POWs will be opened in his term as a president or it will be ignored like in times of Mubarak and Morsi.

I hope that the file of the Egyptian POWs that were killed and mistreated in 1967 is brought up this year and is not forgotten because of the presidential inauguration next Sunday.

 

The Egyptian #POWs in #1973 : The Thunderbolt POWs Massacre

On the 40th anniversary of the October 1973 war “Yom Kippur war” You will find it rare that Egyptian or Israeli media would speak about what happened to Egyptian POWs during that war. The media’s focus especially in Egypt is about the Israeli POWs and the good treatment they received .

On the other side very few sources speak about what happened during that war from crimes and violations committed by the Israeli Defense army. Group 73 Historians, a group of army veterans who chronicle independently the history of the wars against Israel revealed a horrifying incident which they named “The Thunderbolt Forces Massacre”.

The incident is based upon the testimony of former major general Magdy Shehata’s memories.

Read More

This is What the “IDF1967” Twitter Account Forgot To Tell the World About ?? “Graphic”

In this year’s six days war anniversary the Israeli Defense Army launched a twitter account “@IDF1967” in Hebrew to recount the events of the what happened in the war that changed the Middle East forever.

This account did not mention the documented war crimes committed by the IDF against the Egyptian POWs as well Egyptian citizens and Arab citizens in general during the war.

It neglected the fact that thousands of civilians in the Suez cities canal were killed in the air strikes of the IAF where the internationally banned Napalm bombs were used. Thousands of Egyptians were forced to be displaced.

Thousands of Egyptians were forced to be displaced.

Read More

Al Watan Newspaper Remembers Egyptian POWs in #1967 War Defeat Anniversary

Al Watan Newspaper published last 5th of June 2013 a special report in Arabic about the Egyptian POWs in 1956 and in 1967.

Despite it is not the biggest special coverage considering the fact that we are currently in

? Egyptian POWs in tracks “Corbis”

political development marathon in Egypt yet it reminds the Egyptian and Arab readers with what happened to our POWs in both wars.

The special coverage included the testimony of 1967 veteran and former POW Ibrahim El Siyad. Ibrahim was a solider in Al Arish in the Supply and transportation branch during the six days war. After his capture near Al Arish city in his attempt to flee the city , he was transferred to Al Arish military airport where he witnessed the killing of Egyptian POWs in the airport.

“They {IDF soldiers} used to dig a pit in the sand then they ordered the Egyptian POW to sit at the pit and they shot him” MR. El Siyad stated what many had witnessed in Al Arish airport and how it turned to graveyard then.

El Siyad was transferred later to Atlit prison camp to spend there 5 months. 

During his transportation he survived death , when young IDF soldiers “originally Yemeni teenagers” opened their fire in the way on the POWs. Only 3 POWs from 50-60 POWs survived including El Siyad. El Siyad was injured in his hand.

Interestingly I remember reading a similar testimony on how the POWs transferred in  trucks were shot in their head. It seems that there was some order to reduce the number of POWs using all possible ways after all !!

According to the old POW there were 5000 Egyptian POWs in Atlit prison. He mentioned about the inhuman conditions the POWs suffered from during their detention. “We were 100 in each ward, they used to lock us up in the ward from 4 PM to 8 AM without water , we used to pee in a bucket” The old POW remembered his days in the POWs prison camp adding that he did not receive a medical care for his hand injury except one month.

Mr. El Siyad is suing the IDF in front of the State Council in Egypt.

The testimony was recorded in video by the way. I wish it is translated in English.

Read More

Morsi’s Administration , The #MB And The #POWs File

It is June 2013 and amazingly as I have waited the elected President in Egypt Dr. Mohamed Morsi to open the file of the Egyptian POWs in the anniversary of the six days war but instead there was nothing. Complete silence from the new administration.

The anniversary of the Six days war came and Egyptians found out the members of the Muslim brotherhood which the president belongs to were gloating over the defeat caused by their nemesis Nasser !!

I cannot ignore this opportunity without congratulating the Nasserites with their defeat Happy Six day war anniversary dear Nasserites and you are defeated , the leadership is for those who deserve the leadership Gentlemen !!

This was the tweet of Nour El Din Abdel Hafiz, the star TV host of Misr 25 TV channel. Misr 25 TV channel is owned by the Muslim brotherhood.

Display
Egyptian POWs in 1967

It did not stop at this , the MB members and supporters kept posting the Egyptian soldiers’ humiliating photos while they were in the IDF capture to tease the Nasserites on social media websites with no respect to all those who were killed and tortured during their torture.

The members of the Muslim brotherhood were actually gloating over the defeat of the Arab people and the death of thousands on 5 June 1967. In 2007 the MB used to speak frequently about “Shaked Affair” but now the whole thing is forgotten.I remember that Ikhwan Online used to follow carefully the case of the Egyptian POWs of 1956 and 1967.

The MB used to criticized Mubarak and his regime for neglecting the POWs file and unfortunately I do not see any difference in time of President Morsi.

Another proof from #Israel about crimes against Egyptian #POWs

Israeli Website “Walla” published last Friday “12/10/2012” footage from a documentary filmed in June 1967 showing how the Egyptian POWs from soldiers and officers were abused by the IDF in Al Arish airport prison camp. It is horrible 2 minutes footage , this was just the tip of the ice-berg for real.

This footage shows clear abuse to the Egyptian soldiers and officers captured during the 1967 war. It is humiliating by all measures. It was shot on 8 mm film by Reuven Sela , an amateur photographer who was serving as reservist in the Israeli Air forces “IAF”

This footage is from a documentary called “This is us” that is directed by Eric Bernstein and produced by Eliav Liliti , it depends mainly on the footage filmed by amateurs in Israel on 8 mm cameras. The full documentary will be screened in Tel Aviv this week.

Read More