Amidst a deafening media commotion on the unprecedented influx by Egyptian Orthodox Christians into the holy sites in occupied Jerusalem and Bethlehem, two viewpoints have emerged.

One camp says those visits amount to be normalization with the Israelis and that they break the barriers of an effective boycott, falling to the political and economic interests of Israel.

The other camp believes that this seasonal turnout has done very good to the tourism and aviation sector that is trying to recover under very tough circumstances while Israel gets only 15% of those tourist itineraries, now that all stays are in hotels in Jerusalem and all purchases are from Palestinian shops.

The talk, however, has not gone beyond the narrow angles of church punishment, passionate craving for Jesus Christ and tourism and religious normalization. It has envisaged more complicated dimensions with the religious and political campaign launched by some organizations against Yemeni preacher al-Habīb al-Jafrī after his visit to the Aqsa Mosque.

Discussions involved new opinions away from the backgrounds of the death of Pope Shenouda III and the loss of the state posture and security. A most important thing in this respect could be the need by Muslims and Christians together, namely Egyptians, to confront the attempts to besiege, and even Judaize, Muslim and Christian sanctities in occupied Palestine. [Islām Kamāl, Rose al-Yūsuf magazine, April 14, p. 56-57] Read original text in Arabic