"[286] Sherif Hetata, a former political prisoner[287] and later member Nasser's ASU,[288] said that "Nasser's greatest achievement was his funeral. [295] Egypt under Nasser dominated the Arab world in these fields,[292][295] producing cultural icons. [292], Nasser's Egyptian detractors considered him a dictator who thwarted democratic progress, imprisoned thousands of dissidents, and led a repressive administration responsible for numerous human rights violations. In this case Nasser's opponent could see his hand in the mirror and knew he was only holding a pair of deuces" and Nasser knew that his army is not prepared yet. [143] The Cairo-based Voice of the Arabs radio station spread Nasser's ideas of united Arab action throughout the Arabic-speaking world, so much so that historian Eugene Rogan wrote, "Nasser conquered the Arab world by radio. [18][19][20] His association with the group and active role in student demonstrations during this period "imbued him with a fierce Egyptian nationalism", according to the historian James Jankowski. [12] Nonetheless, political unrest in Egypt declined significantly and Nasser resumed his studies at al-Nahda,[24] where he received his leaving certificate later that year. [280] According to his doctor, al-Sawi Habibi, Nasser's likely cause of death was arteriosclerosis, varicose veins, and complications from long-standing diabetes. [336] Also in 1969, Colonel Gaafar Nimeiry, a supporter of Nasser, took power in Sudan. Naguib assumed the additional role of prime minister, and Nasser that of deputy prime minister. Nasser was aware that the canal's nationalization would instigate an international crisis and believed the prospect of military intervention by the two countries was 80 percent likely. [233], Nasser told an East German newspaper in 1964 that "no person, not even the most simple one, takes seriously the lie of the six million Jews that were murdered [in the Holocaust]. If Gamal Abdel Nasser should die, each of you shall be Gamal Abdel Nasser ... Gamal Abdel Nasser is of you and from you and he is willing to sacrifice his life for the nation. [249], On 11 July, Nasser replaced Amer with Mohamed Fawzi as general commander,[250][251] over the protestations of Amer's loyalists in the military, 600 of whom marched on army headquarters and demanded Amer's reinstatement. [236] Still, Nasser concluded that if Israel attacked, Egypt's quantitative advantage in manpower and arms could stave off Israeli forces for at least two weeks, allowing for diplomacy towards a ceasefire. [179] On 19 July, for the first time, he declared that he was opting for full Arab union, although he had no plan to merge Iraq with the UAR. [103], With his domestic position considerably strengthened, Nasser was able to secure primacy over his RCC colleagues and gained relatively unchallenged decision-making authority,[99] particularly over foreign policy. [133] A third infantry battalion and hundreds of national guardsmen were sent to the city as reinforcements, while two regular companies were dispatched to organize popular resistance. [174] In Oman, the Jebel Akhdar War between the rebels in the interior of Oman against the British-backed Sultanate of Oman prompted Nasser to support the rebels in what was considered a war against colonialism between 1954 and 1959. For Nasser was a man of the Egyptian soil who had overthrown the Middle East's most established and sophisticated monarchy in a swift and bloodless move—to the acclaim of millions of poor, oppressed Egyptians—and ushered in a programme of 'social justice', 'progress and development', and 'dignity'. [17] The incident garnered his first mention in the press: the nationalist newspaper Al Gihad reported that Nasser led the protest and was among the wounded. Afterwards, Nasser published a simple six-point program in Rose al-Yūsuf to dismantle feudalism and British influence in Egypt. With the civil war, and the brutal conduct of some Bedouin units, Hussein’s credit among the Arab states was running out. [242] According to Egyptian diplomat Ismail Fahmi, who became foreign minister during Sadat's presidency, the Israeli invasion and Egypt's consequent defeat was a result of Nasser's dismissal of all rational analysis of the situation and his undertaking of a series of irrational decisions. Nasser had ultimate approval over all the candidates. The Muslim Brotherhood supported the RCC, and after Naguib's assumption of power, demanded four ministerial portfolios in the new cabinet. [12][17][28][29], Nasser was greatly influenced by Egyptian nationalism, as espoused by politician Mustafa Kamel, poet Ahmed Shawqi,[26] and his anti-colonialist instructor at the Royal Military Academy, Aziz al-Masri, to whom Nasser expressed his gratitude in a 1961 newspaper interview. [11] Nasser joined the paramilitary wing of the group, known as the Green Shirts, for a brief period in 1934. [230], On 21 May, Amer asked Nasser to order the Straits of Tiran blockaded, a move Nasser believed Israel would use as a casus belli. [233] Moreover, Amer anticipated an impending Israeli attack and advocated a preemptive strike. Anwar Sadat, Ali Sabri, Field-Marshal Fawzi, and Mohamed Heikal have all been seen as possibilities. A ceasefire in the Yemen War was declared and the summit concluded with the Khartoum Resolution. [331], Through his actions and speeches, and because he was able to symbolize the popular Arab will, Nasser inspired several nationalist revolutions in the Arab world. Against all expectations, he succeeded on Sunday night in getting Yasser Arafat, commander of the guerrilla forces, to sign an accord with Hussein. Gamal Abdel Nasser starb unmittelbar, nachdem er einen Waffenstillstand zwischen Jordanien und Palästinensern vermittelt hatte, am 28. [325] Miles Copeland, Jr., a Central Intelligence Agency officer known for his close personal relationship with Nasser,[326] said that the barriers between Nasser and the outside world have grown so thick that all but the information that attest to his infallibility, indispensability, and immortality has been filtered out. Nasser threatened their destructive plans for Yemen, Palestine and Iraq. [7] Nasser had two brothers, Izz al-Arab and al-Leithi. According to Boghdadi's memoirs, Nasser described the Egyptian Army as "shattered" as he saw the wreckage of Egyptian military equipment en route. [320], Some of Nasser's liberal and Islamist critics in Egypt, including the founding members of the New Wafd Party and writer Jamal Badawi, dismissed Nasser's popular appeal with the Egyptian masses during his presidency as being the product of successful manipulation and demagoguery. [110] During the deliberations surrounding the establishment of a new government, Nasser began a process of sidelining his rivals among the original Free Officers, while elevating his closest allies to high-ranking positions in the cabinet. Nasser was also a heavy smoker with a family history of heart disease—two of his brothers died in their fifties from the same condition. [305] Historian Tarek Osman wrote: The interplay in the Nasser 'phenomenon' between genuine expression of popular feeling and state-sponsored propaganda may sometimes be hard to disentangle. [303] The national press also helped to foster his popularity and profile—more so after the nationalization of state media. [116], The nationalization announcement was greeted very emotionally by the audience and, throughout the Arab world, thousands entered the streets shouting slogans of support. [88], Nasser made secret contacts with Israel in 1954–55, but determined that peace with Israel would be impossible, considering it an "expansionist state that viewed the Arabs with disdain". [32] Disappointed, he enrolled in the law school at King Fuad University,[32] but quit after one semester to reapply to the Military Academy. Behind the scenes, Nasser, with a group of young fellow officers, had been one of those who brought about the 1952 revolution. [158] Nasser subsequently opted for union, albeit on the condition that it would be a total political merger with him as its president, to which the delegates and Syrian president Shukri al-Quwatli agreed. [321] Liberal writer Tawfiq al-Hakim described Nasser as a "confused Sultan" who employed stirring rhetoric, but had no actual plan to achieve his stated goals. [348][349] He was known to be personally incorruptible,[350][351][352][353] a characteristic which further enhanced his reputation among the citizens of Egypt and the Arab world. [272][273], Meanwhile, tensions in Jordan between an increasingly autonomous PLO and King Hussein's government had been simmering;[276] following the Dawson's Field hijackings, a military campaign was launched to rout out PLO forces. [253] Nasser confronted Amer about the coup plot, which he denied before being arrested by Mohieddin. [247] Hundreds of thousands of sympathizers poured into the streets in mass demonstrations throughout Egypt and across the Arab world rejecting his resignation,[248] chanting, "We are your soldiers, Gamal! [213] Amer responded by directly confronting Nasser for the first time and secretly rallying his loyalist officers. [57] According to Sadat, Nasser decided to wage "a large scale assassination campaign". [52] He started writing his book Philosophy of the Revolution during the siege. [202] In May, Nasser moved to formally share his leadership position over the Palestine issue[203] by initiating the creation of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO). [227] Nasser still felt that the US would restrain Israel from attacking due to assurances that he received from the US and Soviet Union. [36][333] Ahmed Ben Bella, Algeria's first president, was a staunch Nasserist. The gunman was 25 feet (7.6 m) away from him and fired eight shots, but all missed Nasser. [54] Soon after his return, he was summoned and interrogated by Prime Minister Ibrahim Abdel Hadi regarding suspicions that he was forming a secret group of dissenting officers. Syria's leaders opposed the appointment and many resigned from their government posts. [150], Relations between Nasser and King Hussein of Jordan deteriorated in April when Hussein implicated Nasser in two coup attempts against him[150][151]—although Nasser's involvement was never established[152][153]—and dissolved al-Nabulsi's cabinet. [93], At the Bandung Conference in Indonesia in late April 1955, Nasser was treated as the leading representative of the Arab countries and was one of the most popular figures at the summit. [227] Amer reassured him that the army was prepared for confrontation,[231][232] but Nasser doubted Amer's assessment of the military's readiness. He was formally elected president in June 1956. [281][351][355] He maintained 18-hour workdays and rarely took time off for vacations. Nasser considered the Baghdad Pact a threat to his efforts to eliminate British military influence in the Middle East, and a mechanism to undermine the Arab League and "perpetuate [Arab] subservience to Zionism and [Western] imperialism". [109] Coinciding with the new constitution and Nasser's presidency, the RCC dissolved itself and its members resigned their military commissions as part of the transition to civilian rule. He was the only candidate for the position, with virtually all of his political opponents forbidden by law from running for office, and his fellow party members reduced to mere followers. The expedition was led by Rabbi Shlomo Goren and Nasser personally accompanied him, ordering the Egyptian soldiers to stand at attention. State media reported that Nasser's absence from the public view at that time was a result of influenza. [347], Although he was a proponent of secular politics, Nasser was an observant Muslim who made the Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca in 1954 and 1965. [129] Nasser also ordered blockage of the canal by sinking or otherwise disabling forty-nine ships at its entrance.