Tiran and Sanafir are Egyptian… The First Blow to the Coup Regime

Statement by the Revolutionary Socialists

A wave of joy and triumph has spread among the January revolutionaries and across Egypt following the Supreme Administrative Court’s ruling to nullify the agreement to sell Tiran and Sanafir. This decision was only possible thanks to the pressure from the people, the sacrifices of the youth of the January Revolution, and the relentless efforts of the defense team who fought a courageous legal battle.
Abdel Fattah el-Sisi struck this agreement in secret, behind closed doors, with Israel, the U.S. administration, and Saudi Arabia, further cementing the Egyptian regime’s role as a broker of “peace,” normalization, and a protector of Israeli interests.

By selling Tiran and Sanafir to Saudi Arabia, the regime aimed to accomplish several goals: first, to repay Saudi Arabia for its financial support and billions spent to crush the January Revolution; second, to help Saudi Arabia establish direct ties with Israel, which it has long been seeking; and third, to secure Israel’s interests by making the Tiran Strait an international passageway, which serves Israel’s strategic aims.

The “Egypt is Not for Sale” campaign has put up a significant fight against this agreement, but we must not lose focus momentarily. As Revolutionary Socialists, we believe our struggle must continue because this regime won’t stop selling off the assets of Egypt’s poor. While we have chanted “Egypt is Not for Sale” in the battle for Tiran and Sanafir as a national cause, opposing the interests of Israel and the reactionary Saudi regime, we must also raise the slogans “Egyptian Factories are Not for Sale” and “Egyptian Hospitals are Not for Sale.”

The national struggle cannot be separated from social issues, as the interests of Egyptian capitalists, high-ranking military officers, and those in power are deeply intertwined with the interests of the Israeli enemy. But for us, the poor of this nation—the rightful owners of this land and its wealth—our only connection with Israel is one of enmity.

In this context, we must avoid the trap of considering parliament members who support this regime and its alliances with Israel and Saudi Arabia as allies in this battle. Rejecting the sale of Tiran and Sanafir is inseparable from opposing the military coup and its shameful deals with the enemy. They may claim to oppose selling off our land while still expressing trust in Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, but we say that Tiran and Sanafir are Egyptian and down with Abdel Fattah el-Sisi.

We place no trust in the state’s institutions. Even if some media reports suggest that a “sovereign entity” (likely an intelligence agency) opposes the agreement, let us be clear: every so-called “sovereign entity” in this country is made up of regime loyalists and protectors. Any internal conflicts or contradictions among them should not deceive us. We must also cleanse our movement and slogans of any patriarchal ideas that demean Egyptian women who stand beside us in this struggle. Rejecting the phrase “The Land is Not Honor” counters patriarchal views that equate land with family honor. Instead, our slogan is: “We are the Owners of the Land.”

Our battle for Tiran and Sanafir must expand to include the broader struggle to liberate Sinai and defend its people. The regime kills, arrests, and forcibly disappears Sinai residents under the pretext of fighting terrorism. The recent extrajudicial killings of young men from Arish were merely a cover-up for the regime’s failure even in this area. We salute the uprising of the people of Arish against the Interior Ministry’s crimes against their children, and we declare our full solidarity with them. We call on all members of the “Egypt is Not for Sale” campaign to support and draw attention to the crimes being committed in Sinai against its people.

All respect to the youth of the January Revolution and the Egyptian people for standing up against this agreement. This is our first significant victory against the military coup regime. This regime, which has tried to present itself as a guardian of patriotism and borders, accused us of betrayal while it safeguarded Israel’s security. Now, its true face has been exposed for all to see, and we must continue our struggle until we bring it down.

As Revolutionary Socialists, we are committed to fighting for the following demands: – Prosecution of this regime for treason. – Immediate and unconditional release of all “land detainees” and other political prisoners. – Repeal of the Protest Law. – Dismissal of all charges against land detainees, protesters, and political prisoners.
Down with the military coup… Down with the ruling House of Saud.