Egypt is in turmoil following the release of a rare recording of legendary President Gamal Abdel Nasser, published yesterday (Sunday) on the Nasser TV YouTube channel, sparking widespread media attention.
The recording, dated August 1970 — only two months shy of Nasser’s death — captures him acknowledging Israel’s military superiority, criticizing Arab militancy, and expressing a willingness to reach an agreement.
“The Jews Are Better Than Us in Every Field”
In a recorded conversation with then-Libyan ruler Muammar Gaddafi, Nasser is heard saying:
“The Jews surpass us in everything — on land and at sea, despite all that we have invested. If we want to achieve our goals, we must be realistic.”
He added that calls for Arab states to continue a hopeless fight were irresponsible, rejecting the illusion that Palestine could be liberated by force: “How will you liberate Palestine when Israel is supported by American money and weapons?”
“We Are Choosing a Defeatist Solution”
When Gaddafi proposed creating a joint Arab force to fight Israel, Nasser responded sharply:
“You are welcome to recruit forces. We will stay far away from the entire operation. Leave us out of it — we will choose a non-violent, defeatist solution. I can live with that.”
He further clarified Egypt’s position, stating that it was interested only in an agreement focusing on the withdrawal from Sinai, and not in a broader struggle for the Palestinians:
“We are not interested in secure borders or the Palestinian issue. We will only talk about Sinai.”
Criticism of Arab Allies
Nasser did not hold back criticism of other Arab states, accusing them of leaving Egypt to bear the burden of war alone:
“You demand that we fight alone, and then if we lose, you say — we will fight you together with the Jews.”
It is important to note that Gamal Abdel Nasser, who led Egypt since the Free Officers’ Revolution of 1952, was regarded as a symbol of uncompromising resistance against Israel.
The revelation of his sober and concessionary remarks in the conversation with Gaddafi — less than two months before his death — paints a different picture: that of a leader who recognized the limits of power and sought to avoid another defeat.
One of the recordings released:
