Israeli tourists increasingly seduced by Sinai
Le minibus roule vers le sud. A la sortie de Taba en Egypte, il a dédaigné les quelques hôtels luxueux afin de poursuivre son chemin sur une route aride, bordée par les montagnes brunes du Sinaï d’un côté et par la mer Rouge de l’autre. Des panneaux de signalisation indiquent le passage régulier de dromadaires. Les seuls véhicules croisés sont ceux des forces de l’ordre égyptiennes qui patrouillent dans les deux sens et font parfois halte aux postes de sécurité, placés tous les kilomètres.
"It is because of Daesh [Arabic Acronym of the Islamic State organization]," said Abu Kareem, the driver succinctly.After a tight turn, the first huts appear finally, aligned with the edge of turquoise water.Abu Kareem is committed to a sand track.On arrival, the person in charge of the premises, a young Bedouin dressed in a hareman, his long hair brought back, launches a welcome shalom.
Heaven beaches
After ten years of interruption, between 2004 and 2014, because of a wave of attacks, and despite the persistent presence of active terrorist groups in the North and the center of Egyptian Sinai, Israeli tourists are more and more numerousto stay in its southern part.During the Passah leave (Jewish Easter) this year, between April 19 and 27, there were more than 40,000 to cross the Egyptian Taba border post to join the southern paradisiac beaches, according to the Israeli authority of the Israeli authorityAirports, head of border posts: an increase of 35 % compared to 2018.
Attendance is experiencing a new peak during the summer, despite the suffocating heat.Several decades ago, only the backpackers went down there to survey the mountains and camp on the shore under the stars.Today, families and young people are also in the game, attracted by the beauty of the place and derisory prices, all a few hours away from Israel.
Lying under a tent canvas in the Oasis Sinai camp, Tamir Grodek remembers the shore as he discovered in 1973.He was 16 years old."The beach was empty, there were only a few rudimentary huts and no electricity.In the evening, we made fire to light up and warm up, "said this retired geography teacher who came this time with his family.He then returned there in 1975, for his military service."The southern Sinai became a Stalbet in the 1980s," he adds, that is to say a hideberry of Babas cool and adventurers.
You have 83 left.25% of this article to read.The rest is reserved for subscribers.
- Prev
- Next
