A Meeting After 43 Years.. The Story of Major General Samir Farag’s Debate with Sharon That Raised the Heads of Egyptians in Britain

In an article titled “A Meeting After 43 Years,” Major General Dr. Samir Farag recalls the memories of a televised debate that brought him together with the Israeli General Ariel Sharon on the famous “Panorama” program on the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) in the 1970s, highlighting the Egyptian and Arab reactions toward this meeting, which turned into a moment of pride and honor for Egyptians abroad.

Dr. Engineer Hany Abdel Latif Elma, Chairman and Managing Director of Egypt Cotton Ginning Group, recounts the details of that memory, beginning his speech by extending his thanks to Major General Samir Farag for his warm hospitality toward him and Professor Dr. Alaa Aoun in his office, and for the valuable time he granted them.

Elma takes his memory back to the year 1975 when he was studying for his doctorate in engineering at the University of London in England, where he followed repeated announcements on BBC1 about the famous “Panorama” program—which was broadcast weekly on Sunday evenings—hosting a live debate between a young Egyptian studying at one of Britain’s greatest military colleges and the Israeli General Sharon to discuss the October War.

He says that the announcement of this debate raised concern among Egyptians in Britain due to the difference in age and military experience between the two parties, especially since Sharon was known to them as the “General of the Gap” after the losses incurred by his forces during the October 1973 War. Furthermore, the British media, according to his description, was generally biased toward Israel, and Israelis enjoyed significant influence within the media sector there.

Despite these fears, Egyptians held hope that the young Egyptian would be up to the challenge and possess the military knowledge and linguistic ability qualifying him to engage in the debate with confidence and competence, emphasizing that the Egyptian Armed Forces would not have allowed his participation in this situation had it not been for their confidence in his capabilities and his thorough knowledge of the details of the war.

He points out that the presenter of the program was the famous British journalist Edgar Allen, known for his seriousness, respectfulness, and neutrality to a large extent.

He adds that he was serving at that time as the Secretary of the Egyptian Students Union, and an agreement was immediately reached to reserve one of the halls in the “Lilian Penson Hall” building, affiliated with the University of London student residence, to follow the debate, which represented an extraordinary event for Egyptians and Arabs living abroad.

The hall witnessed the presence of a large number of Egyptians who arrived before the broadcast time amidst an atmosphere of anticipation and anxiety, as everyone realized that the outcome of this confrontation would leave a long-lasting impact on their feelings: either they would emerge with their heads held high, or they would leave feeling sad.

With the start of the debate and the appearance of the young Egyptian on the screen, fears gradually dissipated after he appeared calm, serious, and self-confident. He quickly began speaking in fluent and clear English, using precise logic and persuasive arguments without allowing the Israeli General to provoke him or throw him off his calm composure.

In contrast, Sharon appeared more agitated as the discussion progressed and began losing consecutive points, while the morale of the Egyptians inside the hall rose, reacting to every strong answer as if they were watching a football match between their team and an opposing team they did not like.

Elma emphasizes that everyone felt that the young Egyptian, whom they called “Samir Bey” at the time without knowing his full name or military rank, had completely settled the debate in his favor and caused Sharon to lose his temper in more than one situation, to the point where it seemed like a knockout victory, as he put it.

This impression was not limited to the Egyptians who followed the debate inside the hall; he indicated that the comments of the British newspapers published after the meeting also confirmed what they felt regarding the superiority of the young Egyptian in the confrontation.

Despite the length of the episode, time passed quickly without the attendees noticing it. After the debate ended, everyone began asking about the identity of this young Egyptian, what he did, where he was studying in Britain, and why none of the Egyptian students had met him before.

Speculations about his identity varied: some believed he was the Consul of Egypt in Paris, while others went on to think he was the youngest Egyptian Ambassador in Paris and that he had come to Britain specifically to participate in the debate due to his proficiency in English.

Elma adds that they tried to inquire about the identity of “Samir Bey” from the Egyptian Embassy and the Egyptian Cultural Center, but they could not obtain clear information before he returned to Egypt, only for a journey of following the career of Major General Dr. Samir Farag to begin years later, whose name later shone as an unconventional Governor of Luxor, a man of distinguished ideas and a clear ability to make decisions, succeeding in bringing about a transformation that made the city appear honorably before tourists.

Elma also recalls his frequent appearances on television programs, where his organization of thoughts, strong delivery, and adherence to the etiquette of dialogue always caught his attention, until the name of Dr. Samir Farag became a distinguished brand admired by various segments of society, whether intellectuals or simple citizens.

He concludes his speech by pointing out that following the programs of Major General Dr. Samir Farag was not limited to those interested in public affairs, but extended to many housewives, including his wife, confirming the status he managed to achieve among the public over many long years.