A Turkish-born Israeli woman was surrounded and verbally harassed by a group of pro-Palestinian protesters at a shopping mall in Istanbul on Sunday, prompting security guards to intervene and escort her from the premises. Israel's Foreign Ministry condemned the incident Monday, calling it "disgraceful and unacceptable."
The woman, identified as Claudia Medina Halfon, works in the tourism industry and holds both Israeli and Turkish citizenship. According to Turkish media reports, approximately 20 to 25 protesters confronted her at the Istinye Park shopping mall after she had been targeted on social media over her ties to Israel.
Footage circulated online showed demonstrators shouting at Halfon, calling her a "terrorist" and a "murderer of children," while others chanted, "We don't want Zionists in our country." The confrontation escalated, and police and medical teams were dispatched to the scene. Mall security escorted her out, and Turkish authorities launched an investigation. No injuries have been confirmed.
In a statement posted on X, Israel's Foreign Ministry accused Turkey of fostering hostility toward Israelis. "Turkey rolls out the red carpet for Hamas terrorists," the ministry wrote. "When a government gives terrorists a safe haven, it should come as no surprise when their hatred is echoed on its streets."
The incident comes amid Israeli security warnings about risks to citizens traveling abroad. Israel's National Security Council has urged travelers to avoid drawing attention to their Israeli identity, including by speaking Hebrew in public or displaying identifiable Jewish symbols, and to avoid unsecured locations.