Israeli families attacked in Turkey
Peddlers in Turkish bazaar attack two Israeli families. Families claim attack on them is result of Qana incident. 'We feared for our lives,' one Israeli says
Pursuant to situation in Lebanon, Israelis attacked in Turkey: Two Israeli families were attacked in a bazaar in the Turkish city of Absala, after peddlers discovered their nationality. Despite the massive altercation, the families were able to escape.
The families told that, at the beginning of their trip, they encountered friendly faces, but after the attack on Qana, everything changes. The day they were attack, Eyal Yakar, his family and another family, were wandering around a local Turkish bazaar. When they approached one of the stalls for shoes and bags, one of the peddlers turned to them and asked: Israel? When they answered in the affirmative, the commotion began.
The questioning peddler attacked Eyal will fists and began spitting on him and his family. In a matter of minutes, several other peddlers began yelling, swearing and spitting. "People left their stands and surrounded us, spitting and cursing," Eyal narrated.
"People began to grab us. They yelled sweats in Turkish. The children began to cry. We feared for our lives and started to flee, walking quickly. We became worried because, despite the fact that we were leaving, they followed us. We got in a cab and escaped," he recounted.
According to Eyal, it was the incident in Qana that affected Turkish treatment of the family. "After the bombardment of Qana, they changed, because, typically, they're very pleasant. People on the bus also swore at us."
The family decided not to lodge a complaint with local police, but, instead, decided to return to Israel earlier than planned. "We were the only Israelis in the hotel. Because of the stress of the incident, we wanted to move up our flight," said Eyal.
"Even though people told us to press charges against the peddler, we feared spending too much time at the police station. I'm pro-Turkish and tend to be dismissive of irrelevant warnings, but it was a tough feeling. We were unwanted."
Initial report received via Red Email
