Al Sisi: «We will not give up a single grain of Sinai soil»
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al Sisi celebrated, together with all of Egypt, the liberation of Sinai from Israeli troops in 1982, a particularly heartfelt celebration this year, with Israel busy in Gaza and pushing to push displaced people beyond the borders and take control of the Philadelphia Corridor. «The story of the Egyptian people’s struggle for Sinai unfolds as a monumental saga of heroism, selflessness and sacrifice, perseverance and resilience, unwavering commitment to the rights of this great homeland and boundless determination not to cede a single grain of its soil» , said Al Sisi. “Liberated through war and diplomacy, Sinai will always remain a testimony to Egypt’s steadfastness.” And it was also the case in the following years, in a bloody war on terrorism. «Tragic developments have occurred in the region in recent months, primarily the Israeli war in the Gaza Strip» and «Egypt has definitively affirmed its firm position and has made unremitting efforts to reach an immediate and urgent ceasefire and guarantee access for humanitarian aid to the sector”, also firm in the objective of making Palestine “an independent and sovereign state so that the Palestinians regain their legitimate rights”. Determined not to give up even a grain of sand on the Sinai peninsula, Egypt has long since started the construction of a series of `new cities’, first of all the new Rafah, officially inaugurated today by the governor of North Sinai Mohammed Abdel Fadil Shousha, with the aim of repopulating it and making it a place with high living standards. «Just as the war for the liberation of Sinai was a sacred national duty, as was its purge of terrorism, the development of Sinai is also a sacred national duty – the president said in his speech to the nation -. Today, Sinai is witnessing unprecedented efforts to achieve comprehensive development in health, education, infrastructure and all elements of urbanization, industry and agriculture as part of a massive national project that is worthy of the sacrifices of the Egyptian people to safeguard and defend their security and well-being.” In short, a piece of Egypt that will never be, the meaning of his speech, a land of displaced people or invasion.
