Turkish-Israeli woman mobbed by protesters, called a ‘terrorist,’ at Istanbul mall

A Turkish-born Israeli woman was accosted by anti-Israel activists at a shopping mall in Istanbul on Sunday, after her location was shared on social media. Protesters called her a “terrorist” and “child killer” and demanded that she leave the country, according to video of the incident.

“Everyone, look here, there is a terrorist in Istanbul right now,” one of the activists shouted at the woman, identified as Claudia Medina Halfon.

Another person shouted: “We don’t want Zionists in our country.”

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Promoted: JPPI, Bret Stephens 

Videos circulating on social media showed a large group of people approaching Halfon, many with their mobile phones raised to document the confrontation. Others appeared to try and block her path through the mall.

Security guards intervened and escorted her from the premises, while other personnel prevented protestors from following her down an escalator and attempted to defuse the situation.

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The Israel Foreign Ministry condemned the incident on Monday, calling it “disgraceful and unacceptable.”

Turkey rolls out the red carpet for Hamas terrorists. Now an Israeli-Turkish citizen is harassed and screamed at in an Istanbul mall.

When a government gives terrorists a safe haven, it should come as no surprise when their hatred is echoed on its streets.

Disgraceful and…

— Israel Foreign Ministry (@IsraelMFA) October 19, 2026

“Turkey rolls out the red carpet for Hamas terrorists. Now an Israeli-Turkish citizen is harassed and screamed at in an Istanbul mall,” the ministry wrote on X, sharing a video of the confrontation from a Turkish account.

“When a government gives terrorists a safe haven, it should come as no surprise when their hatred is echoed on its streets,” it added.

According to Channel 12, Halfon has faced criticism on Turkish social media over allegations she brings Israel Defense Forces soldiers to the country on vacation.

The news outlet also reported that police and medical teams were called to the scene and the mall was later evacuated.

Before the confrontation, an activist posted a video calling on people to gather at the IstinyePark shopping center to protest Halfon’s presence.

תיעוד מטורקיה: קלודיה מדינה, ישראלית ממוצא טורקי, מצאה עצמה מותקפת אתמול בידי המון משולהב בקניון באיסטנבול. עשרות בני אדם הקיפו אותה, קראו לעברה "מחבלת" ו"רוצחת ילדים" בעוד היא מנסה לפלס את דרכה החוצה תחת איומים ודחיפות@DovGilHar pic.twitter.com/rNaQ6kdJY4

— כאן חדשות (@kann_news) October 19, 2026

Relations between Israel and Turkey have been particularly strained since the war broke out in Gaza following the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led massacre in southern Israel.

Israel’s relations with Turkey, once a close security ally, have drastically deteriorated following Erdogan’s rise to power, and have largely collapsed since the start of Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza. Erdogan has likened Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to Hitler, while the premier has called his Turkish counterpart an “antisemitic dictator” and condemned him for “committing genocide against the Kurds” while supporting the Hamas terror group.

The confrontation on Sunday followed other incidents involving Israeli citizens in Turkey.

In February, an Israeli woman was arrested for allegedly desecrating Turkey’s flag and insulting Erdogan and Palestine, according to Hebrew media reports.

In a separate case that month, a Turkish-Israeli dual national was arrested while visiting her parents in Istanbul for serving in the IDF. She was held under house arrest for several days until diplomatic pressure secured her release and return to Israel.

The woman was apprehended under a Turkish law that prohibits serving in a foreign military, according to Channel 12.

Israel vehemently denies it has committed war crimes or genocide in Gaza, and says it seeks to minimize civilian fatalities, stressing that Hamas uses Gaza’s civilians as human shields, fighting from civilian areas, including homes, hospitals, schools and mosques.

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