Peter Lyukimsov, Israel. Exclusively to Vestnik Kavkaza
Ahead of the most important Hebrew holiday, Passover, more than a million Israeli citizens went abroad for their vacations, and 20% of them headed to Turkey. It was recovery of the tourist flow.
The tradition of leaving Israel on Passover – the memorial day of Jewish Exodus from Egypt in 1312 B.C. – is explained by several reasons.
First of all, almost all state facilities and many companies stop working for a week, and their employees have an opportunity to rest. Secondly, many secular Jews feel uncomfortable under strict rules of Passover – it is forbidden to eat bread, cakes which have to be replaced by matzoth. During the whole holiday the food is absent all over the country, except for Arab districts.
Turkey as a destination for the Passover holidays was a surprise for tourist companies of Israel and for Turkey. A number of flights from Tel Aviv to Istanbul, Ankara, and Antalya was increased. It is connected with the mass media publications about soon normalization of relations between the two countries. “The Israelis missed Turkey – rather cheap hotels with a high level of service, entertainments, casinos which are forbidden in Israel,” a tourist agent Mikhail Leizerovich told Vestnik Kavkaza.
However, not only people fly to Turkey. Recently ornithologists captured a swallow in Eilat, it had a ring on its leg with the sign of “Ankara-Turkey.” The Israelis recalled how a year ago a goldfinch ringed in Israel was captured in Turkey, as a result the bird was accused of… espionage in favor of Israel.
However, Israel didn’t do the same and simply reported to Ankara that a Turkish swallow was captured and set it free.
