Following a chain of isolated anti-Semitic incidents taking place all over the world,another one occurs in Istanbul – Turkey.
A Kashruth overseer (mashgiach) employed by HaEda HaCharedit, was attacked while waiting to board his flight at the airport in Istanbul. A group of Arabs noticed the Jew that was sitting there for several hours. They gathered around him and began jeering and making racial slurs, while trying to block him from walking away.
One of the representatives of Turkish Airlines, who saw the incident, rushed to rescue the mashgiach from the hands of the attackers, and brought him to an area behind the counters, where only staff is allowed to enter, and that’s where he remained until he boarded the plane.
The Kashruth committee of HaEda HaCharedit decided, following the incident, not to take unnecessary risks, especially after the Rabbis’ instructions of not entering a place of danger. The other overseers, who were staying in Turkey, were ordered to return to Israel, and those who planned on leaving Israel, cancelled their flights.
The absence of supervision will have a broad economic impact, which will force companies that produce food for Turkey – and there are many such – to cancel their production and transfer it to other factories.