Gamal Abdel Nasser

Gamal Abdel Nasser (January 15, 1918 – September 28, 1970) served as president of Egypt from 1954-1970. Nasser is considered the father of racist Arabism / Pan-Arab socialism.

Coup

In 1954 Egyptian King Farouk was overthrown by a military junta headed by Nasser.

Theory of Nazarism

Nasser was a centralized but charismatic leader with distinctive rhetorical abilities. His strong personality made him stand out not only in his country but also in the entire Arab world, and he became a symbol of the struggle against Israel. His ideology, dubbed "Nazarism", advocated the establishment of a Muslim empire that would dominate the Middle East. His speeches stirred millions of people in Arab countries and he became a very popular leader.

Socialism and jihad

Although the Egyptian terrorist organization, the Muslim Brotherhood helped Nasser organize a coup to take over the Egyptian government, they soon became disgruntled by some of his secular ideals. In October 1954 the Muslim group attempted to assassinate Nasser, the attempt wounded a guard but missed the president. His popularity rose when after the gunshots, Nasser shouted to the crowed, "Let them kill Nasser! What is Nasser but one among many? I am alive, and even if I die, all of you are Gamal Abdul Nasser!"

Sayyid Qutb was thrown in prison for three months. After his release, Qutb's became the editor of the Muslim Brotherhood's magazine. In less than a year the government began a crackdown on the Muslim Brotherhood. Qutb was again arrested and sentenced to life in prison, but the sentence was later reduced to fifteen years.

While in prison, Qutb wrote a book titled Milestones calling for the revival of violent jihad. The book was smuggled out of the prison and published in 1964. Qutb was put on trial for plotting to overthrow the government. At the behest of Nassar's Marxist and atheist Soviet allies who preached "religion is the opiate of the masses," Qutb was sentenced to death and hanged on August 29, 1966. Qutb is now considered among the first martyrs of salafi-jihads' violent struggle against Western secularization.

In context with Israel, Nasser did call for a genocidal holy war.

Suez Crisis

In 1956, Nasser seized the Suez Canal from the French and British companies that controlled it. His plan was to nationalize the canal to raise money to build the Aswan Dam, and needed cash after the Americans and British withdrew a pledge to help fund it. But Nasser's seizure of the Suez Canal created the “Suez Crisis” for a week because many nations, including Israel, relied on the Canal for shipping. The British and French provided air support for an invasion by Israeli troops into the Sinai peninsula, which easily overcame Egyptian resistance which had pulled back most of their forces to protect the canal. But then the Soviet Union threatened to intervene on behalf of Egypt, creating a wider conflict and a risk of a world war. Nasser was allowed to keep the canal, and international pressure by the United States caused Britain, France and Israel to back off. The Aswan dam was built, in part with Soviet economic aid.

Soviet ally & Before/after Six-Day war

In the years that followed the Suez Canal crisis, Soviet arms shipments caused Egypt to become the most powerful Arab nation in the Middle East. Nasser relished the role of being the spokesperson for the Arab world and used Egyptian power outside of his borders, being military involved in the war in Yemen.

After the defeat of the Suez Canal crisis Nasser still continued his tirades against Israel. In 1965 he announced: “We shall not enter Palestine with its soil covered in sand, we shall enter it with its soil saturated in blood”. In May 1967 Nasser forced the UN Emergency Force to leave the Sinai Peninsula, where they were stationed since 1957 which led to the Six Day War.

Documented Nasser's prolonged annihilation campaign since the 1950s and even after 1967 Six-Day War Arab defeat:

Nasser Talks Peace...

Before the Six-Day War...

"Egypt will be glad when her army and that of Syria will meet on the ruins of this treacherous people, the Zionist gangs." (Speech in Cairo, 18 December 1955)

"We want a decisive battle to annihilate that germ, Israel." (Speech in Alexandria, 26 July, 1959)

"We will launch a full-scale war when the right moment arrives." (Radio Cairo, 18 May, 1962)

"Our aim is ... the creation of a unified and continuous Arab region, from which Israel will be eliminated." (Message to Arab Students Convention, London, 15 May 1965 )

"The national Arab goal is the eradication of Israel." (Joint Communique with President of Iraq, 25 May 1965)

"We aim at the destruction of the State of Israel." (Speech in Cairo , 18 November 1965)

"The Arab people is firmly resolved to wipe Israel off the map." (Radio Cairo, 25 May, 1967) 

"The Arab people want to fight ... We have been waiting for the right time, when we would be completely ready Now the war will be total: its objective will be the annihilation of Israel." (Speech to Pan-Arab Trade Unions, Cairo, 26 May 1967)

"Israel's very existence is aggression." (Press Conference, Cairo, 28 May 1967)

"In the light of the blockade of the Gulf of Aqaba, two possibilities are open to Israel, each one of them soaked in blood: either she will die from strangulation of the Arab military and economic blockade, or she will die in the hail of bullets of the Arab forces surrounding her in the south, the north and the east." (Radio Cairo, 30 May, 1967)

"Destroy them and lay them waste and liberate Palestine. Your hour has come . Woe to you Israel. The arab nation has come to wipe out your people and to settle the account. This is your end, Israel. All the Arabs must take revenge for 1948. This is a moment of historic importance to our Arab people and to the holy war. Conquer the land."

(The "Voice of the Arabs" Radio Cairo, 5 June, 1967) 

... and after the Six Day War...

"No peace with Israel, no recognition of Israel, no negotiations with Israel."

(At Arab Summit Conference, Khartoum, 1 September 1967)

"The war has not ended , it has only begun ... When the time comes , we will strike."

(Radio Cairo , 23 November 1967 — one day after U.N. Security Council Resolution calling for peace settlement)

"The Arab nation has decided to embark on the path of war We will move to the containment of Israel, and after that to ... its eradication." (Radio Cairo, 10 April 1968)

"No recognition of Israel , no negotiations with Israel , no peace with Israel We aim at the destruction of the State of Israel."

(At Congress of Arab Socialist Union, Cairo, 23 July 1968)

"The Fatah ... fulfill a vital task in sapping the enemy's strength and draining his blood . . . The U.A.R. appreciates the attitude taken by the Palestinian organizations in rejecting the Security Council Resolution of November 1967... This Resolution may serve the purpose of eliminating the consequences of the aggression and to lead to total Israel withdrawal but it is inadequate for determining the fate of Palestine ... The U.A.R. places all its resources at the disposal of these organizations."

(Speech in Egyptian National Assembly , 20 January 1969)

"The Six-Day War was, in actual fact, the prelude to a war which has not yet ended."

(Speech to Pan-Arab Trade Unions, Cairo, 29 January 1969)

Egypt's horrible defeat at the hands of Israel in the Six Day War devastated Nasser. He never truly recovered and died of a heart attack in 1970.