Blue O Two holding a 50% off sale for Red Sea routes

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due to Egyptian authorities making problems for guests traveling on Israeli passports

This is absolutely not true, I've just (as in 6 days ago) been on a boat in Sharm with two divers from Israel. During the last two years I've crossed multiple times the Eilat-Taba borders in both directions and seen LOTS of Israelis crossing into Egypt to hit the Taba casinos. In Mowenpick Taba I've seen Orthodox Jews in January 2020.
Unless you are involved in sensitive stuff (let's not elaborate) there's ZERO reason to be afraid of having problems to enter Egypt on a Israeli passport.
 
Unless you are involved in sensitive stuff (let's not elaborate) there's ZERO reason to be afraid of having problems to enter Egypt on a Israeli passport.

It's not entering Egypt that is the problem, it's sailing to the marine parks. As I understand it, port authorities demand copies of everyone's passports prior to the liveaboard leaving the pier, and that is the step where my nationality may present a problem. Both Aggressor and Blue O Two have this policy. Blue O Two even told me that they can take me to the North and Wrecks route, but not to B-D-E or St. Johns. I contacted Dive Pro Liveaboards, and they say it's fine - it appears that they're run by a local guy, so I guess he knows the right people to smooth things over.
 
As I understand it, port authorities demand copies of everyone's passports prior to the liveaboard leaving the pier.

This is correct, trust me, as a fellow member of the tribe, i was just as nervous, only i'm american, not israeli.

and for those thinking theres no problem for israelis, then why cant you fly direct non stop from israel to egypt or vice versa?
 
and for those thinking theres no problem for israelis, then why cant you fly direct non stop from israel to egypt or vice versa?

That is actually possible - Air Sinai operates flights between TLV and CAI; it's a stipulation of the 1979 peace treaty. The tickets are sold almost exclusively through travel agents rather than online, and the flights board in Cairo lists the flight number without the actual destination (or at least it did when I last flew that route in 2014), but the flights do exist. There was even talk of opening a TLV <-> SSH route recently, but it seems to have stalled.
 
This is correct, trust me, as a fellow member of the tribe, i was just as nervous, only i'm american, not israeli.

and for those thinking theres no problem for israelis, then why cant you fly direct non stop from israel to egypt or vice versa?

Folks, stop peddling totally false information. THERE IS and has been for many years a direct flight from Ben Gurion (Tel Avivi/Jerusalem) to Cairo, operated by a company called Air Sinai. (Barmaglot beat me to it) Which is actually Egypt air in disguise, as they couldn't operate this under their real name for political reasons. Also Eilat-Taba border is open 24/7 with public transport available on both sides. This is something I write from personal experience, been there done that multiple times.
 
It's not entering Egypt that is the problem, it's sailing to the marine parks. As I understand it, port authorities demand copies of everyone's passports prior to the liveaboard leaving the pier, and that is the step where my nationality may present a problem. Both Aggressor and Blue O Two have this policy. Blue O Two even told me that they can take me to the North and Wrecks route, but not to B-D-E or St. Johns. I contacted Dive Pro Liveaboards, and they say it's fine - it appears that they're run by a local guy, so I guess he knows the right people to smooth things over.

OK, that's an entirely different matter, when you said "Egyptian authorities making problems for guests traveling on Israeli passports" that was far less specific and totally not true.
Whatever the problem is with Aggressor and Blue O Two, it has nothing to do with marine parks, as I've dived with Israelis (as in Israel citizens) in Ras Mo multiple times on day boats ran by various companies and they had presented the passports in Sharm marina without the slightest problem.
Since a company ran by a local guy said they can take you to B-D-E and St. Johns it doesn't mean they're bribing someone (if there really was an interdiction about Israeli citizens they wouldn't risk accusations of espionage over a few dollars) but rather that they're up to date with things that are allowed.

Seriously, last week in Sharm I've seen more Israelis then Germans, Englishmen and Dutch put together...
 
Also Eilat-Taba border is open 24/7 with public transport available on both sides.

AFAIK, right now, the Taba crossing closes at 5PM.

Whatever the problem is with Aggressor and Blue O Two, it has nothing to do with marine parks, as I've dived with Israelis (as in Israel citizens) in Ras Mo multiple times on day boats ran by various companies and they had presented the passports in Sharm marina without the slightest problem.

Again, Sharm and Port Ghalib/Hurghada are two different things. Case in point - Know Before You Go | Aggressor Adventures™

Travel Advisory: We are unable to accept reservations from guests traveling on an Israeli passport due to Egyptian maritime regulations. There is a risk that when the Port Authority is clearing the RED SEA AGGRESSOR III to depart Port Ghalib on the charter, travel may be delayed and/or denied by the authorities for these individuals.

And this is what I got back from Blue O Two:

We would recommend that Israeli guests join our Northern trips only as we are unable to get permissions for any trips that visit the marine parks or the South Red Sea at the moment.
 
The point is that if an Egyptian company is taking Israeli citizens to those destination they aren't bribing anyone, they simply are up top date with the regulations, while the foreign owned companies are not. No (sane) Egyptian would risk landing into an Egyptian prison on espionage charges just in order to take a few divers on a LoB.
It may also be related to the foreign owned companies/boats not wanting to risk any aggravation, as in the Israeli divers not being just divers and so on.

As for the Taba crossing, I believe that keeping it open 24/7 was one of the provisions of the peace treaty between Egypt and Israel. It was for sure as late as Jan 2020 as I crossed it at night. But you may very well be right given the current circumstances, anyone planning to cross anytime soon should call both sides and ask.

Anyway, my corrections were about your initial affirmation, whatever this or that diving company offers to Israeli divers isn't something I know in detail. One thing is sure: Egyptians want your shekel and your shekel will get you far more diving (and far better) in Egypt then in Eilat :D .
 
It may also be related to the foreign owned companies/boats not wanting to risk any aggravation

That's probably the most likely cause behind it.

As for the Taba crossing, I believe that keeping it open 24/7 was one of the provisions of the peace treaty between Egypt and Israel. It was for sure as late as Jan 2020 as I crossed it at night. But you may very well be right given the current circumstances, anyone planning to cross anytime soon should call both sides and ask.

I was told about the 5PM closing time by my tour operator (I'm doing a liveaboard to Ras Mohammad and Thistlegorm with an Israeli company that provides an organized transfer from Eilat to Sharm and back, and I want to extend the trip by going from Sharm to Hurghada and doing a trip or two on the southern routes), but I just googled it and got this article from 18/04/2021 that says that the crossing is expanding its operation to Fridays and Saturdays, but hours are staying 8 AM through 4 PM. January 2020 is pre-covid, so yes - back then it was 24/7, but pre-covid rules don't apply anymore.
 
If you call any cabbie in Dahab they'll take you to Sharm from Taba border for 75$ per car including luggage. You can dig them up easily on FB etc. Can be quite cheap if you have a group of 3 or 4. There was also a public bus (everyone on the Egyptian side said there isn't :wink: but lo and behold, if you walked past Mowenpick up to the final checkpoint you'd find a large bus station) which was dirt cheap but I have no clue if it still runs given the small numbers crossing the border until recently. Things tend to move slower in Egypt as I'm sure you know.
 

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