I was working as a parliamentary editor for the People's Newspaper, and I covered the session that witnessed a battle between the government and the opposition in 1980 in defense of the Nile waters.
Before the session, the officer in charge prevented me from entering and tried to withdraw my card that proves that I am the newspaper’s representative in the council.
Opposition leader Ibrahim Shukri objected that Sadat did not explain the facts to the assembly, but he spoke to members of the parliamentary body of the National Party, and this body is not the assembly, and he did not speak before us as a people's assembly, and we have the right to know the facts.
Suddenly I found Counselor Mumtaz Nassar in front of me, so I told him what happened. The officer asked, Did the representative of Al-Shaab newspaper prevent your personal decision, or is it the decision of the president of the council?
The officer was confused and did not reply, so Mumtaz Nassar grabbed my hand and I entered the council with him.
It was fortunate for me that the national newspapers (Al-Ahram - Al-Akhbar - Al-Gomhouria) focused on the government's response, and ignored the words of the opposition deputies, so they provided unique coverage of the session.
It was scheduled to discuss a request for briefing and 3 questions submitted by opposition representatives about Sadat's offer to Begin (former Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin) to deliver the Nile waters to Israel.
The government is evading
Kamal Hassan Ali - Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs at the time - tried to evade answering the questions that Sadat had clarified to the deputies all the facts on the subject, and there was no longer any new information that could be added.
But opposition leader Ibrahim Shukri objected that Sadat did not explain the facts to the assembly, but he spoke to members of the parliamentary body of the National Party, and this body is not the assembly, and he did not speak before us as a people’s assembly, and we have the right to know the facts.
The head of the council, Sufi Abu Talib, objected to the boycott of Ibrahim Shukri, whose argument was clear and conclusive;
Forcing the Deputy Prime Minister to agree to answer the questions and request a briefing.
The government is lying
It was clear that the government realized the seriousness of Sadat's statements, the anger of the Egyptian people over them, and that the opposition's popularity was increasing.
Therefore, Kamal Hassan Ali tried to downplay the importance of the issue, and denied that there were negotiations about it, and that no executive measures were taken in it, and it was not presented in any framework for negotiations with Israel, whether in autonomy negotiations or the normalization of relations, and if that happened, the matter would require presenting the issue The Council should conduct negotiations with the countries benefiting from the Nile waters.
Ibrahim Shukri replied that this issue preoccupied the people because of its importance and seriousness, so I previously asked a question to Prime Minister Mustafa Khalil, who denied any thought of supplying Israel with the Nile water, and stressed that not a drop of the Nile water would go outside the Egyptian borders, and we believed this and were convinced of it.
But then we were surprised by the publication of the exchanged letters between Sadat and Begin, in which Begin said that Sadat had suggested that he transfer water to Jerusalem and the Negev, and that he responded to this suggestion that transferring the Nile waters to the Negev was a great idea, but we must differentiate between material aspects and spiritual issues, we have rights In Jerusalem it cannot be touched.
Based on that text in the exchanged messages;
Ibrahim Shukri accused Mustafa Khalil that his words in this hall were not true, and it cannot be claimed that he did not know.
Ibrahim Shoukry also proved his accusation against Mustafa Khalil of what was stated in Sadat’s letter to King Hassan of Morocco, in which he said that supplying Israel with the Nile water was not a decision that I was alone with, but I turned it in all its aspects with the Vice President, the Prime Minister and the negotiating delegation.
Ibrahim Shoukry indicated that the decision rests with the President of the Republic;
Because our system is presidential, so no member of the negotiating delegation can object to the president's decision, and he cited that the Foreign Minister had to resign when he disagreed with Sadat.
The topic is not closed
Ibrahim Shukri added that the issue was not closed, as Kamal Hassan Ali claimed, so Begin did not and will not reject such a generous offer, but what he refused is linking the offer to the issue of Jerusalem.
Thus, the claim that the issue has been closed is incorrect, because Begin made a difference in his speech to Sadat between the Negev and its water supply and the issue of Jerusalem.
With the intensification of the discussion, Kamal Hassan Ali said, "When we discuss the matter, we will take your opinion." This response aroused the discontent and anger of the deputies, and Ibrahim Shukri got excited and asked;
In what do you take our opinion?
Do you want to take our opinion that we kneel under the feet of Israel and give it our lives and wealth by which the settlements are planted on our borders in the Negev to be a source of threat to us, especially after Sinai has become completely demilitarized?
The president's information is incorrect
Ibrahim Shukri added that there are those who provided the president with incorrect information. Sadat says that we are throwing 6 billion cubic meters into the sea, and this is not true, and here are the representatives of Faraskur who can answer this question;
Will Faraskur Dam open to throw any amount of water into the sea?
Ibrahim Shukri - who had held the position of Minister of Agriculture and Irrigation before that - added, "We do not throw any amount of water into the sea, otherwise Sudan would have objected to that and said that this water is its right...Most of our lands are deserts, and we need to reclaim them every drop of Nile water".
Ibrahim Shukri addressed his words to the deputies;
Perhaps you will remember how we all stood in the face of Israel’s attempts to seize any amount of the Jordan River.. We refuse, in principle, to give Israel one drop of the Nile water, even if it is more than we need.. The important thing is not the quantity, because if we agreed to give them a drop of water. From us, there will come a day when we will agree to give them more.
We insist on canceling the idea completely. This issue is dangerous, and I say to Sadat with all due respect;
No, and we will not allow the hand that liberated Sinai to be the same hand that gives Israel the waters of our Nile.
The government's response ignites the battle
Kamal Hassan Ali's response was that the government was facing a crisis and that it could not face the opposition;
Where he said that what was stated in Sadat's words is exactly what happened, and described Ibrahim Shukri's words about the settlements as strange, as we recognized Israel through the Camp David treaty, and we recognized our borders with it, and it can establish whatever settlements it wants within its borders, and it is strange that anyone objects on it.
Here, Minister of State for People's Assembly Affairs Hilmi Abdel Akher realized the seriousness of the dilemma facing the government.
He stood up to attack Ibrahim Shukri, but the deputies demanded him silence, and the majority deputies participated in that, who felt that the minister would exacerbate the crisis facing the government after it was proven that it was lying to the parliament.
Ibrahim Shukri responded to Helmy Abdel Akher, "Stand in your place... you are being falsely accused of me. Do you imagine that this method will lead you to the presidency of the ministry?"
The deputies applauded Ibrahim Shoukry, while Mumtaz Nassar said that Ibrahim Shoukry expressed every patriot loyal to Egypt and its achievement, and that the government's statements do not represent the truth and reality.
I'll turn it into an interrogation
The head of the council, Sophie Abu Talib, objected and directed his speech to Mumtaz Nassar;
If you are accusing the government, the way to do that is through interrogation. Mumtaz Nassar replied and said that I am presenting facts here within the framework of the question posed, and after I finish my statement, I may turn that into an interrogation.
In this hall, Mustafa Khalil denied that Begin was offered to deliver the Nile water to Israel during Sadat's visit to Haifa, but it has now been proven through official documents that Sadat made this offer to Begin, while Kamal Hassan Ali's words are also inaccurate.
Mumtaz Nassar wondered: How do we give our lifeblood and source of sustenance to anyone?!
This is a serious mistake that an Egyptian official cannot say when he knows that the law and the constitution forbid this, because even the council does not have the right to dispose of the Nile waters because they belong to future generations. Therefore, I consider mere presentation a grave mistake.
Sayed Galal demanded that the government declare categorically that this offer was not, and that no water point from the Nile of Egypt would reach Israel;
Because the people of Egypt refuse that.
The session ended and it was clear that the opposition had won;
This explains the importance of opposition in democratic systems, and how it can protect the interests of the state and warn society of the dangers that threaten its existence.
My coverage of that session was part of a press campaign carried out by Al-Shaab newspaper against Sadat's offer to transfer the Nile waters to Israel. Al-Shaab newspaper had an important role in closing this issue until today. Therefore, the people of Egypt need a free press that defends Egypt's right to the waters of the Nile and to life, freedom and democracy.