Thinking of Going to 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 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.

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.