Taking A Gamble
In Jericho

Jericho
The biblical Joshua who led the
Israelites' siege of Jericho could never
have dreamed that stud poker would
breathe life back into this dusty
Palestinian-ruled town.
But two weeks ago, hundreds of
Israelis made the short 30-minute drive
down the winding road from Jerusalem
to place their bets at Oasis, a new gam-
bling complex in Jericho and the first
big foreign investment in the Palestinian
self-rule areas.
They found 35 gaming tables and
220 slot machines amid the classic casi-
no-kitsch decor beneath a star-studded
ceiling. The $50 million casino is the
first stage of a $150 million investment
in a tourist complex that will eventually
include 800 hotel rooms, a golf course
and conference facilities. It is directly
across the road from an impoverished
Palestinian refugee camp.
On opening night nearly all the gam-
blers were Israeli. At almost every table,
at least one player wore a black skullcap.
Rumors persist that senior Palestinian
officials are casino shareholders and that
the Palestinian Authority will see little
tax revenues from the venture — rev-
enues that were one of the justifications
Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser
Arafat provided for supporting the casi-
no.
Casinos Austria officials refused to
discuss the ownership structure of Oasis.
In addition, they would not say how
much taxes would be paid to the cash-
strapped Palestinian Authority.
Some Israeli rabbis have already criti-
cized the casino — a move that puts
them on rare common ground with
Islamic spiritual leaders who condemned
Oasis, since Islam forbids both gambling
and alcohol.
Hamas, the fundamentalist Islamic
movement, was quick to lash out at the
"devil" casino as an enterprise serving
"the Zionists and those who became rich
over the suffering of our people."
Inside, the casino provided rare
glimpses of what the "new Middle East"
envisioned by former Prime Minister
Shimon Peres could look like, even
though that vision of regional peace and
prosperity has virtually vanished in the
peacemaking crises of the past two years.
Around the tables, drinks in hand,
Israelis rubbed shoulders with wealthy
Palestinians who defied Arafat's orders to
stay away.
Avi Machlis/Jewish Telegraph Agency

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Detroit Jewish News

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