Egyptian hotel in Sinai refuses Israeli guest, citing political sensitivities and security issues  

Yehuda Schlesinger, a frequent visitor to Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula, was shocked to discover that he was no longer welcome at a resort he had visited multiple times - solely because of his nationality.

Schlesinger, 38, told Ynet that he had attempted to book a stay at RockSea, a beachfront camp he had previously enjoyed on two occasions. But this time, he received a troubling email: Israeli citizens were no longer being accepted “due to the sensitive situation.”

“I’ve been going to Sinai for over a decade, usually around Passover and Sukkot,” Schlesinger said. “Most places still welcome me warmly. I wanted to return to RockSea because it’s well organized, has a beautiful beach, and I know the owner, Roxy, and the staff.”

What he got instead was an apologetic rejection. The email from the resort read: “We truly believe that travel brings people together, and we hope for a future where we can welcome everyone with open arms. However, due to the current very sensitive situation and the concerns shared by some of our local guests, we feel it's not the right moment to host visitors from Israel. Please know that this decision is not personal and certainly not rooted in any form of discrimination.”

The response, Schlesinger said, came from an Egyptian manager - and left him outraged. “It’s infuriating,” he said. “How can they say they’re not accepting Israelis and claim it’s not personal? It’s as personal as it gets. This is directed at all Israelis.”

What made it more frustrating, he added, was that RockSea isn’t even Bedouin-run. “The Bedouins https://www.jfeed.com/tags/bedouinswould never do this. They always welcome us.”

In his reply to the resort, Schlesinger said he didn’t hold back. “I told them it was a terrible response. To my knowledge, there’s a peace agreement between Israel and Egypt. I also reminded them that it’s a German-owned beach. Germany and the Holocaust — that’s why we Jews even ended up in this region. So you’re taking sides now and refusing to host Israelis?”