Egypt celebrated the anniversary of the “liberation” of the Sinai on April 25. The public holiday marks the return of the Sinai to Egypt from Israel after the peace deal. Israel completed the handover of the Sinai to Egypt on April 25, 1982.
“Egypt celebrates Sinai Liberation Day on 25 April annually to commemorate the completion of the withdrawal of all Israeli military forces from the Sinai Peninsula in 1982, following the 1979 US-brokered Camp David peace accord,” Al-Ahram newspaper in Egypt notes.
This year, President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi marked the 42nd anniversary of Sinai Liberation Day by laying a wreath at the Memorial of the Unknown Soldier in Cairo, Egyptian media noted.
Egyptian media also celebrated the day, noting that people in South Sinai Governorate “proudly expressed their gratitude for the heroism and sacrifices of the men of Egypt, which contributed to the liberation of Sinai, regaining pride and dignity through their sincere efforts.”
This comes at an important time because Israel is focused on an operation in Rafah on the Egyptian border. The operation has been controversial in Egypt. Egyptians spoke to Al-Ahram about the importance of the day.
Reading between the lines
On the beach of charming South Sinai, Al-Ahram met a number of citizens on the anniversary of the liberation of Sinai to ask them what the anniversary represents for them, which falls on April 25 of each year.
“This date represents a memory of restoring pride and dignity by defeating an army that claimed to be invincible in only six hours,” one man said. Apparently, he was referring to the Yom Kippur War.
“We are proud of our presence on the land of Sinai, which returned after a long battle until God granted us victory there,” a student told the newspaper.
A woman said, “We are inspired by the anniversary of the liberation of Sinai, and we honor all those who participated in it. They have all our respect and appreciation.”
The people said they await the celebration every year. One man said he “believes that reclaiming Sinai was a message of deterrence to every occupier and aggressor thinking of approaching the land of Egypt...We taught them a harsh lesson...pointing to the return of the land with the determination of men whose principle is victory or martyrdom.”
It is important to read between the lines here. Whereas Egyptians cannot critique their government’s policies, they can speak proudly of the 1973 war and the liberation of Sinai.
Through these lines, they can make a point about Israel and the war in Gaza today. The symbolism is clear here. The October 7 attack by Hamas struck a worse blow to Israel than the Yom Kippur War, leading to the massacre of many civilians and the kidnapping of 250 people.
The Yom Kippur war by contrast was over in two weeks and Israel seized the initiative.
Today, Israel is still fighting in Gaza, and Hamas controls much of Gaza. The Rafah operation may lead to some tensions with Egypt. The Sinai anniversary is tied to this, and it is important to listen to what the Egyptians say about it.