Israeli Tourists Attacked In Turkey
Ryan R. Jones - All Headline News Correspondent Absala, Turkey (AHN) - Two Israeli families were attacked and, they fear, nearly lynched by a Turkish mob after their nationality became known at a public bazaar this week. Eyal Yakar told Ynet that his family and another were quietly browsing the local bazaar in Absala when a peddler suddenly asked if they were Israeli. When Yakar said that they were, the peddler began swearing, spitting and hitting the two families. He was quickly joined by other peddlers and passers-by. "People left their stands and surrounded us, spitting and cursing," Yakar said. "People began to grab us. ...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 believes the fierce anti-Israel hatred was sparked by Israel's unintentional killing of 56 Lebanese civilians in an air strike on the village of Qana Sunday. According to Yakar, "After the bombardment of Qana, they changed, because, typically, they're very pleasant. People on the bus also swore at us." Anti-Syria Lebanese Christians have accused Hezbollah of masterminding the Qana massacre, pointing out that for unexplained reasons the civilians failed to flee the targeted building despite the fact it took eight hours to collapse after being hit.
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