Two Arab-Israeli tourists have been sentenced to five years in prison for an assault on hotel staff in Egypt that resulted in one person's death, officials told The National on Sunday.
The assault took place in the Red Sea resort town of Taba last August. According to the judicial officials in South Sinai, the pair assaulted hotel staff with various items including wooden and metal sticks.
It was alleged they had refused to pay for drinks at a popular Taba hotel, leading to the violent altercation. The defendants claimed their hotel reservation included drinks, but management disputed this.
After a heated argument, the situation escalated into physical violence, with the two Arab-Israelis reportedly smashing glass doors and furniture. One of the hotel workers was killed and two others seriously injured.
The incident also resulted in property damage estimated at 35,000 Egyptian pounds ($1,130). Police arrested the pair and they have been held in custody since an order from the country's top prosecutor in September for them to stand trial.
The prosecution followed a wave of outrage from Egyptians over the incident, which was widely followed on social media. The case highlights tensions around tourist conduct in Egypt, which has sought to maintain stable relations with Israel despite public sensitivity over the Gaza conflict. Taba, a key border crossing, is a popular beach destination for Israeli travellers.
The verdict, issued by a court in South Sinai province on Saturday, comes amid broader regional Arab-Israeli tensions, in light of Israel’s ongoing war in Gaza that has thus far claimed the lives of over 50,000 civilians amid an ongoing blockade of aid and essential humanitarian supplies.
Neither Israel’s foreign ministry nor the individuals’ families have issued public statements on the incident. However, Israeli media noted the incident contrasts with generally positive reports of Egyptian hospitality toward Israeli visitors.
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The smuggler
Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple.
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.
Khouli conviction
Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.
For sale
A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.
- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico
- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000
- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950
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Director: Shazia Iqbal
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How tumultuous protests grew
- A fuel tax protest by French drivers appealed to wider anti-government sentiment
- Unlike previous French demonstrations there was no trade union or organised movement involved
- Demonstrators responded to online petitions and flooded squares to block traffic
- At its height there were almost 300,000 on the streets in support
- Named after the high visibility jackets that drivers must keep in cars
- Clashes soon turned violent as thousands fought with police at cordons
- An estimated two dozen people lost eyes and many others were admitted to hospital
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Euro 2020 qualifier
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Uefa Champions League, Group B
Barcelona v Inter Milan
Camp Nou, Barcelona
Wednesday, 11pm (UAE)
