Israeli soldiers in Egyptian captivity during the October 1973 war still suffer from the bitterness of defeat

CAIRO – 6 October 2020: On October 6, 1973, the brave Egyptian soldiers crossed the Suez Cana, raising the Egyptian flag in victory, after retrieving the precious land of Sinai from the Israeli enemy, erasing the devastating effects of the defeat and setback that occurred in 1967.

During that war, the Egyptian army created history to be added to the Egyptian military record, recording the first victory of Arabs over the occupation army.

The valiant army of Egypt was not only content with the victory, crossing the Suez Canal, and storming the impregnable Bar Lev Line, but they also captured dozens of Zionist soldiers, to make them feel the bitterness of captivity and the humiliation of defeat.

Despite the illegal and inhumane practices of the occupation army against the prisoners of Arab armies after the 1967 defeat, the Egyptian armed forces avenged, but due to their high morals and ethics hey did not carry out such inhuman practices with the occupation soldiers, who were photographed with their heads bent bearing the effects of defeat.

Perhaps the most famous picture of the Israeli prisoners is the picture of the prisoner Baruch Shemesh, who appeared with worn military clothing, his frizzy hair, his long beard, his intertwined hands, and the look of despair that appeared from his eyes. The photo was taken by a foreign reporter during the war.

The Israeli newspaper Yediot Aharonot claimed that the Israeli army statistics indicate that 294 Israeli prisoners were captured by the Egyptian armed forces during the war. They were released after nearly two months, coinciding with the declaration of a ceasefire between the Egyptian and Israeli sides.

The newspaper adds that the memories of defeat and suffering still dominate the Israeli soldiers today, despite the passage of all these years. This prompted them to organize an art exhibition to display the bitter experience of Israel's defeat in the 1973 war.