Silenced Valor: The Tragic Tale of Suleiman Khater, Betrayed by the Egyptian Regime
Watan-With the sunset of October 5, 1985, Suleiman Khater entered history by defending the honor of his country and preventing occupation soldiers from invading Egyptian territory.
However, his end was not at the hands of Israel but was killed in the prisons of his own country’s regime, which falsely claimed at the time that he had committed suicide.
Who is the Egyptian soldier Suleiman Khater, the young man in his twenties, whose story is being recalled in light of current events?
Academic Ali Abu Rizk shared the story of Suleiman Khater in a tweet on the platform, stating that this story is “one of the most inspiring and complex operations in the history of the conflict between Arabs and the occupation.” He added that the irony was that the operation took place in October, a month that turned into a real nightmare for the occupation and its supporters.
في الحديث عن واحدة من أكثر العمليات إلهامًا وتعقيدًا في تاريخ الصراع بين العرب والاحتلال، فإن عملية الشاب المصري “سليمان خاطر” كانت أحدهم بلا شك، وللمفارقة أنها كانت في شهر أكتوبر، الشهر الذي تحول إلى كابوس حقيقي على الاحتلال وداعميه،
والتعقيد في هذه العملية أنها أحدثت ضجة كبيرة… pic.twitter.com/1abLBnyDFk
— Ali Abo Rezeg (@ARezeg) January 20, 2024
Suleiman Khater’s Story
Abu Rizk further emphasized that despite the simplicity of the circumstances and details, Suleiman Khater’s story highlighted certain aspects, such as the sovereignty of the land. He described the young man standing there, just days away from completing his mandatory military service, witnessing Zionist attempts to breach the barrier between Egypt and the entity.
Regarding Khater’s actions against the occupation soldiers, Ali Abu Rizk explained that Suleiman Khater called out to them, asserting that this land is Egyptian and Arab. However, they responded with mockery and provocation, claiming that there is no land forbidden to Israelis. Khater fulfilled his duty, responded to the military call, and defended the area where he and his comrades were stationed, killing seven attackers and injuring five others in a military zone.
The news was a shock to the Israeli occupation and the Egyptian regime colluding with it, leading to the thin young man being brought to a military trial and sentenced to 25 years in prison. Khater described the sentence as “a verdict against Egypt.”
The Villains Were Not Satisfied with Imprisoning Him!
The academic, Ali Abu Rizk, described the officials of the Egyptian regime who arrested Suleiman Khater as “traitors who did not settle for imprisoning him but killed him with the worst of killers.” Khater was found hanging in his cell.
من قتل سليمان خاطر شرطي مصري مجند ؟
حذر يهودا من عبور الحدود فلم يمتثلوا للاوامر ، فقام بقتلهم ..عام 1986 ، فتمت محاكمتة عسكريا ثم وجد مشنقوقا في زنزانته. pic.twitter.com/42LhZs9xus— Mohamed Albaz (@Mohamed48892521) January 20, 2024
Media outlets close to the regime at the time claimed that Khater “died by suicide in a desperate attempt to tarnish the image of the hero created by the Egyptians.” Abu Rizk commented on this by saying, “Khater died, or his jailers killed him, and they did not know that they would not kill the spirit of pride and manhood in this nation.”
Despite 38 years passing, the story of Suleiman Khater remains etched in the minds of Egyptians. Born in 1961 in the governorate of Sharqia, he experienced the 1967 defeat at the age of six and the War of Attrition in 1970.
من سنَّ في الإسلام سُنَّةً حسنة، فله أجرُهَا وأجر من عَمِلَ بها بعده من غير أن ينقص من أجورهم شيء ❤️
فالسلام عليكم كلما دوى الرصاص و تناثرت جثث الصهاينة على حدود مصر الشرقية❤️😌
سليمان خاطر
أيمن حسن
محمد صلاح pic.twitter.com/qcoX1548a6— Nehal 💚🗝️🇵🇸 (@Nehal78163704) January 16, 2024
The Hero Suleiman Khater.. A Tale Present in the Minds of Egyptians
While on his regular guard duty in the Ras Burqa area (south of Sinai) during his military service, Khater encountered a group of Israelis attempting to climb the plateau where his guard post was located.
Despite warning them in English not to advance into the restricted military zone, they continued. Khater fired warning shots into the air, but when they persisted, he aimed his weapon at the occupation soldiers, killing five and injuring seven.
السلام ع سليمان خاطر كلما تناثرت جثث الصهاينة ع الحدود المصرية 🥹🤍🇪🇬 pic.twitter.com/y5gSTIuTPF
— 🇵🇸أميرة 𓂀 (@p_mero442) January 15, 2024
However, his own country’s judiciary treated the case as if it were under occupation jurisdiction, sentencing him to 25 years in prison before he was eventually killed in his cell, with the regime falsely claiming it was suicide.
