Belek, Antalya - It seems so appropriate that I’m here in Turkey just when Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan make up. I came here for a family vacation, after giving countless explanations to friends as to why — and how dare I — visit a country that has become so hostile, and whose prime minister makes incessant verbal assaults against my own country.
As soon as I heard about the historic reconciliation, I went down to the lobby of my hotel in Belek and tried to work out my new status there. I wanted to know if there was any change in the way my Turkish hosts perceived me as an Israeli. Until yesterday [March 22], I was met with nervous chuckles and wayward glances whenever I introduced myself. That was what happened when my children and I shared an elevator with a guest in a tailored suit. We exchanged a few pleasantries, but when we reached our final stop, he asked, “Where are you from?”
“Israel,” I answered.
The uncomfortable silence was interrupted when both of us laughed to release the tension. There were no more words. There was no explanation, no excuses. I am sure that he wanted to ask, “What brings you here? You’re the only Israeli here. All the others have stayed away.” Or maybe what he really wanted to ask was, “What the hell happened between us?” I wondered whether he also supports Erdogan and identifies with his incessant attacks against Israel, or whether he belongs to the growing opposition.
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