Turkish belly dancers to perform in Israel for peace

ISTANBUL

Hürriyet photo

A number of belly-dancers and oriental dance teachers from Turkey and Arab countries are set to gather in Israel in June to participate in the world’s biggest belly dancing festival, private broadcaster al-Arabiya has reported.

A Jewish daily has said the highlight of the event is that the dancers are not afraid to come to Israel and "vibrate their hips for peace."

However there are also some dancers who are opposed to the festival. Renowned Egyptian dancers including Fifi Abdu, Lucy and Dina, who are among the best-known in the Arab world, are refusing to participate in the event.

“All Egyptians from birth hate Israel,” Abdu said, adding that they rejected normalizing relations with the Jewish state.

Turkish-Israeli relations have deteriorated since an Israeli raid on a Turkish flotilla that was seeking to break the Gaza blockade in 2010. Nineteen activists were killed including nine Turks during the attack.

The four-day belly dancing festival, which will be held for the ninth time this year, will take place in the southern Israeli province of Eliat and will start on June 16.