A terrifying ordeal unfolded Sunday at the Istinye Park mall in Istanbul when Claudia Medina Halfon, an Israeli woman of Turkish descent, was targeted and harassed by roughly 20 anti-Israel activists. The incident began when the demonstrators recognized Halfon, surrounded her on all sides, shouted "murderer" and "Zionists are not wanted here" at her, threatened her, and began filming her from close range.
According to reports from Turkey, Halfon had been singled out in advance on Turkish social media due to her ties to Israel and her work organizing medical tourism for Israeli patients. Halfon accompanies many Israelis undergoing cosmetic procedures in Turkey and coordinates their medical care in the country.
The demonstrators who surrounded Halfon waved Palestinian and Turkish flags, shouted at her, and blew whistles. Among the calls heard at the scene were "We do not want Zionists in our country." In the days leading up to the incident, anti-Israel activists – including the group "Fatah October 7" – had targeted her on social media platforms in Turkey. The activists accused her of assisting IDF soldiers and filed criminal complaints against her with Turkish authorities in an attempt to get her arrested or deported.
Mall security personnel were forced to intervene to rescue the woman from the midst of the angry mob. Security guards escorted Halfon outside the complex while attempting to push back the rioters.
Video: Footage of the attack in Turkey | Istanbul
Footage circulated from the scene shows moments of the confrontation, in which Halfon appears surrounded by dozens of people shouting at her from close range as she tries to move away. Additional videos show physical altercations between security guards and groups of protesters who refused to disperse.
