Heba Selim

Heba Selim ( d. 1973) was an Egyptian spy who worked for the Mossad along with her fiance Farouk Al-Fikki. She Grew up in the upper class Mohandeseen Cairo suburb. She studied in Paris where she was recruited by the Mossad. She married Farouk el Fikki, an Egyptian army officer, and gathered information - through him- about the locations of the Anti Aircraft Batteries. Both were excuted. She is the basis of the Egyptian Movie classic " Al sood ila al haweyah" ( Climbing to the abyss). One of the most famous lines in Egyptian cinema history take place at the end of the movie as Abla (Heba Selim's name in the movie)is flown to Egypt after her capture in Libya. As the plane pass over the nile and pyramids her escorting intelligence officer says the now classic sentence.. " we heya dee Masr ya abla" (and this is Egypt Abla). Henry Kessinger mediated on her behalf to former Egyptian president Anwar sadat. Sadat, not wanting her to be a negotiation chip in the 1973 War cease fire talks, pretended not knowing anything about her espionage case and suggested to Kessinger to re-discuss her case later that evening. He then ordered her instant excution. She was hanged within the hour. Later that evening he pretended that he would have tried to cooperate, but that she was excuted some time ago.