How is Egypt been affected by the present middle east crisis?

[Doc]

To all of this, I say: Ughhh.

We just got back. (http://scubaboard.com/showthread.php?t=153045 for a tip report) I have a "Jewish" last name although I live for pork chops and as am Jewish as I am Martian. I have a US Passport.

The "Current Middle East Crisis? Mean the one last week versus the one that has been simmering since the 1940's, or do you mean the one a year ago versus the Beruit fight? Current, indeed.

I was never given anything but a good welcome, even by passport control agents.

Sharm is safe, you will be fine. The language, the religeon, the creed... it is capitalism.

We are found at our second home in Honduras much of the time. Our US friends often still ask, "Aren't you afraid of the war?". That war was ended 20 years ago.

What happened in Sharm, now over a year ago, was directed specifically at locals, not tourists. Read and understand. Once you see the place, you will understand how easy it would have been to harm several hundred tourists in one incident... but no- the bombers went after locals.

Do not become a victim of the media and the frenzy they live to ignite.

Still, people know what they know, they think what they hear repeated. The current Middle Eastern grief is many many miles to the North, seperated by the Sinai Mountains and a wall of tourist dollars.

SCUBA divers are inherently risk takers, envelope pushers, thrill and stimulus seekers. All this talk is pure foolishness. Why take part in a thread of this nature... are you really going to base your travel decision, go or no-go, upon something you read here?

Go. Dive, eat well, make new friends, find the commonality.

 

[Thorz]

http://edition.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/meast/08/05/zawahiri.tape/index.html

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/4709491.stm

Asser is probably correct. Just remember that the situation is dynamic and can change rapidly from month to month - say between today and September. Also, precedent has already been established for risk of disruptions at that location.
FWIW. YMMV.

Yeah I had read that one too (about the group). This kind of info is scary but I was born in a country where there has been a big history of terrorism, so in some way your mind learns to deal with these kind of news.

As today's date we are still coming, but I am praying for that the crisis get solved, not only for the tourists and the Egyptian economy but for the thousands of people that are suffering and are been pressed to live in horror on the crisis zone, it doesn't matter what nationality or at what side of the border they are.

I will continue to monitor the area for future developments. I have still not payed the trip in full. I have until November to fully decide, but we have already spoken about it and we really like to go. We also have a lot of wishes to see the out live in Sharm while we are there, but things like last year's bomb sometimes make you think it twice , I hope that everything is fine because staying at the hotel can not be as fun as going out on the night for example.

Again, thank you very much to all the participants in this informative thread.

 

[scubafreaky]

Here's my perspective as a jewish american who spent time with my friend Asser in Cairo and in Sharm. I met 1 person the entire time I was in Egypt who said they did not like Americans. Many people, even Asser knew of my jewish heritage before I even told them because of my last name, well that and the fact my family were jews who lived in Egypt up until the 1960's. So Asser is correct in what he says about jewish americans...they do not differentiate.

With that said...I had many conversations with Egyptians regarding Israel. If I were Israeli, I would not got to Egypt Barbara(although you may be able to pose as an American since you are a dual citizen...I don't know). Even before this recent conflict began I would not have gone to Egypt as an Israeli. You may or may not be targeted by extremeists...but Asser is also correct, many Egyptian people, as hospitable as they are, will not be welcoming to Israelis. Barbara, if you do go...ask Asser to set you up with Khaled in Dahab...skip Sharm all together, as Sharm is unsafe for everyone (you can ask Asser about the boat operators on this one). Khaled is a well educated Egyptian from Cairo, who is very open minded towrad the Israelis. He worked in Eilat for some years, and his perspective is one which will help you feel more welcomed.

 

[DivesWithTurtles]

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What happened in Sharm, now over a year ago, was directed specifically at locals, not tourists. ...

To disagree, The Moevenpick and the Ghazala Gardens Hotels in Sharm, The Dahab Sea Resort and the central part of the town where there are many shops, restaurants, bars and guesthouses in Dahab, The Taba Hilton in Taba, these have been the recent (last three years) targets of terrorist bombings. These targets are not directed specifically at locals, but rather at local economies, with many tourists being collateral damage.

I went to Sharm last September after the July attacks, and planned to go to Dahab this September after this past April's attacks. I will not be dissuaded by occasional, random, terror attacks. I would not feel safer visiting New York City.

On the other hand, I will take into consideration what Asser, scubafreaky, both Docs, and others have said in deciding whether to go to Egypt next month. I am an American, but I am a Jew and my sister is an Israeli, and I care about where I spend my money based on how I will be treated and how Israelis are treated.

 

[Thorz]

skip Sharm all together, as Sharm is unsafe for everyone

For everyone, or do you mean for Jews?
You are the first that I have read telling that Sharm is "unsafe to everyone".

 

[scubafreaky]

For everyone, or do you mean for Jews?
You are the first that I have read telling that Sharm is "unsafe to everyone".

Personally....I think for everyone. For starters there are too many people to dive operations in Sharm; additionally, there seems to be a high level of incompotence amongst the boat crews in Sharm, many have zero safety standards. The problem is pronounced in Sharm due to the high numbers of snorklers to divers on each trip. I would stick with dive companies that specialize in diving...if you get onto a boat with a majority snorklers or non divers, I would reconsider diving with them.

 

[Red Sea Shadow]

To disagree, The Moevenpick and the Ghazala Gardens Hotels in Sharm, The Dahab Sea Resort and the central part of the town where there are many shops, restaurants, bars and guesthouses in Dahab, The Taba Hilton in Taba, these have been the recent (last three years) targets of terrorist bombings. These targets are not directed specifically at locals, but rather at local economies, with many tourists being collateral damage.

I went to Sharm last September after the July attacks, and planned to go to Dahab this September after this past April's attacks. I will not be dissuaded by occasional, random, terror attacks. I would not feel safer visiting New York City.

On the other hand, I will take into consideration what Asser, scubafreaky, both Docs, and others have said in deciding whether to go to Egypt next month. I am an American, but I am a Jew and my sister is an Israeli, and I care about where I spend my money based on how I will be treated and how Israelis are treated.

Taba was targeted during October's victory holidays (national holiday). The main targets were Israelis and General Ahmed Shafeek, the teacher of Hosni Mubarak. This attach succeeded in killing him.

Sharm was targeted during the revolution's holiday (national holiday). Ghazala was targeted because it's the nearest to the conference center, and there was a conference during this holiday.

The Old Market was also targeted, specifically the area full of local taxi drivers.
Dahab was targeted during Shamm El Nesseem holiday (national holiday). If they were targeting foreigners, they would have bombed Dahab one week before, during the easter holidays.

These attacks were mainly aiming to embarrass the Egyptian government and to make the local people in South Sinai suffer.

 

[mania]

Sharm is safe, you will be fine. The language, the religeon, the creed... it is capitalism.

What happened in Sharm, now over a year ago, was directed specifically at locals, not tourists. Read and understand.

Ditto
Try to read something else than CNN - AFP is one of the good sources about Middle East which as a matter of fact Egypt is not part of.

Sharm is not less safe that your hometown. i was there almost right after the attacks and never had any problem.
As for the boats - simply use the known diving centres - few of them were named here. As everywhere in the world - don't take the cheapest ones because that means lower quality and less safety.


Mania

 

[Red Sea Shadow]

As for the boats - simply use the known diving centres - few of them were named here. As everywhere in the world - don't take the cheapest ones because that means lower quality and less safety.

Even the known dive centers suffer when lots of beach holidays are involved. Imagine when the vast majority of guests are snorkellers and intros, what could a known dive center do about it? For sure they'll go to easy sites suitable for snorkelling and intros, and will avoid drifts as much as possible.

 

[Thorz]

This really is an enlightening thread. Thanks a lot, it is really a big help for us that are coming to Egypt in the near future!