The official travel warnings issued by Israel for travel to Turkey have reached all of the country's residents in Israel and overseas and have kept many people up at night. They are the focus of in-depth media reports, yet they are unlikely to have been relayed to the relevant elements in the relevant language.
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We may see a repeat in Turkey of what happened to Col. (res.) Elhanan Tannenbaum, who traveled to a European country for a business opportunity and winded up entangled with Hezbollah in Lebanon. The cruel ayatollah regime could ensnare Israeli citizens who contact a foreign agent. These citizens could ultimately find themselves outside of Turkey's borders, and possibly even in Iran.
Having embarrassed the Iranians and informed Turkey of the Revolutionary Guards' intention of carrying out hostile activities in its territory, Israel can take advantage of the fact that Ankara is in the process of bolstering bilateral ties with Jerusalem to make Turkey expel the Iranians from its borders and reveal the true face of the Iranian regime to the world. This effort will likely require the primary use not of diplomacy but rather intelligence.
Turkey is considered to be the No.1 tourist destination for Israel's Arab citizens due to their similar cultures and the country's affordable all-inclusive hotels. Likewise, Arab-Israeli businesspeople have in recent years developed an extensive network of connections with their Turkish counterparts, importing nearly everything from cars to plastic cups from Turkey. Trade reaches around $8 billion annually.
Arab Israelis have also in recent years begun to buy homes in Turkey, which are significantly more affordable than in Israel. This phenomenon could see Iranians target buildings housing apartments owned by Arab Israelis.
The State of Israel has done everything it can to relay the message that Israelis are at risk, everything except issue an Arabic-language warning in Arabic. While it is true that Arabs consume Israeli media, the government must issue an explicit warning in Arabic to ensure they get the point across. Arab public leaders, from lawmakers to local authority heads, must have the relevant information so that they can do their jobs. Anyone planning a vacation in Turkey must rethink their plans and examine other options, of which, thankfully, there are quite a few.
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