Sharing the experience in an interview with public broadcaster Kan on Monday, Ofra Adi said she was just two meters (6.5 feet) away. “I was sitting outside and suddenly I heard an explosion and people screaming… I didn’t realize what was happening as there was dust and smoke everywhere. Then I saw three people lying on the pavement… Then I realized it was a terrorist attack,” he said. Turkish officials said two girls aged nine and 15 were among the dead. “I was two meters away from the terrorist,” Andy said. “The people who died protected me because they took the hit – I only felt the shock wave.” Get The Times of Israel Daily Edition by email and never miss our top stories By signing up, you agree to the terms It is unclear if Andy was near the alleged terrorist or the explosive device at the time of the bombing. A woman leaves a flower at a memorial at the scene of Sunday’s explosion on Istanbul’s popular pedestrianized Istiklal Avenue in Istanbul, November 14, 2022 (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra) An initial investigation led Turkish authorities to believe the device, which was left on a public bench in the square, was activated remotely. Two other Israelis — Natali Swissa and Or Atedgi from Ashdod — appeared in the first published photo of the alleged terrorist. “We were saved by a miracle, there’s no other way to put it,” Suissa said in an interview with the Ynet news website. “We were exploring Taksim Square, going in and out of shops. It was all pretty mundane. There was a lot of people. As we were leaving a store we heard a huge explosion and saw a very large mushroom cloud. There was smoke everywhere,” he said. Swissa and Atedgi described running back to their hotel, where they were stunned to see a picture of the suspected terrorist — a Syrian national and member of the militant Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), which is considered a terrorist organization in Turkey, the United States and the European Union. Medical examiners collect a dead body after an explosion on Istanbul’s popular pedestrianized Istiklal Avenue in Istanbul, Sunday, Nov. 13, 2022. (Ismail Coskun/IHA via AP) According to Udi Eitam, Israel’s consul general in Turkey, there were many Israelis near and at the site of Sunday’s attack. “We helped rescue some Israelis from the area. There were some groups of tourists who contacted us. Some are in shock. We are in contact with them,” Eitam told Ynet, adding that the local Jewish population was helping the efforts. “Volunteers from the Jewish community of Istanbul visited hospitals to try to locate Israeli victims. The authorities have also been very responsive and helpful,” he said. No Israeli casualties were reported from the attack. Although there was no immediate indication that the attack was designed to target Israelis, an Israeli security source cited by Jewish media on Sunday advised Israeli tourists in Istanbul to stay in their hotel rooms and avoid walking around the Turkish city. On Monday morning, the stay-at-home directive was lifted, but Israelis were advised to remain cautious. Security and ambulances at the scene of an explosion on Istanbul’s popular pedestrian Istiklal Avenue, November 13, 2022. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco) Several months ago, Turkish security forces said they had foiled an Iranian plot to target Israeli citizens in the capital, after Israeli officials earlier warned that Iranian agents were ready to kidnap or kill Israelis there as Tehran sought revenge for several killings of scientists. and officers. for which he blamed Israel. In August, Israel and Turkey announced the full renewal of diplomatic relations, ending more than a decade of tensions with Ankara. In a meeting between outgoing Defense Minister Benny Gantz and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan last month, the officials agreed to advance joint efforts to create “stability, prosperity and security in the Middle East and Eastern Mediterranean.” Israeli policy said directly I joined the Times of Israel after many years covering US and Israeli politics for Jewish news outlets. I believe that covering Israeli politicians responsibly means presenting a 360-degree view of their words and actions – not just conveying what is happening, but also what it means in the larger context of Israeli society and the region. This is difficult to do because you can rarely take politicians at face value – you have to go the extra mile to present the full context and try to overcome your own biases. 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