Anti-Jewish mob storms airport in Russian region of Dagestan
This frame grab taken from video footage posted on the Telegram channel @askrasul on October 29, 2023 shows protestors on the apron area of an airport in Makhachkala. A mob looking for Israelis and Jews overran an airport in Russia's Caucasus republic of Dagestan on October 29, after rumours spread that a flight was arriving from Israel. Photo AFP, Telegram, Askrasul
Eastern Europe
After a plane from Tel Aviv landed in Dagestan, an angry mob stormed the airport. They were waving Palestinian flags and shouting Muslim creeds. They wanted to attack the Israeli passengers.
Even though there are many religions present in Russia, there is a prominent Muslim group in the Russian region of Dagestan. And they are known for their support to the Palestinians in the current conflict in Israel.
The unrest in the Middle East is the reason why anti-Jewish attacks are increasing in the North Caucasus, Neue Zürcher Zeitung writes. On Sunday evening, a large crowd of hundreds of people forced its way into the airport because a plane with refugees from Israel was said to have landed.
Most of them were young men waving Palestinian flags, NZZ reports. They broke through windows of the airport and shouted anti-Jewish slogans.
In total, more than 20 people were injured, including police officers and civilians. Ten people had to go to the hospital, and two of them were in critical condition, Tass reports. The passengers of the Israeli plane escaped unharmed.
Well-being
The authorities are said to have arrested 60 people for storming the airport, Kristeligt Dagblad writes. Security forces removed all the protestors from the premises. As a result of the incident, the airport was sealed. Most likely, it will remain closed until November 6.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called on the Russian regime to protect Israeli citizens. Together with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Israel, he published a statement that reads that the Israeli government expects “the Russian authorities to ensure the well-being of all Israeli citizens and Jews, wherever they are.”
The Mufti (Muslim religious leader) of Dagestan called Muslims to remain calm, Ria Novosti writes. He called the anti-Jewish sentiment a mistake and requested Muslims to remain calm and show patience. “The issue cannot be resolved this way”, he warned in a video message.
Slogans
It is not the first anti-Semitic incident in Dagestan since the outbreak of the war in Israel on October 7. On Saturday, a crowd stormed a hotel in the region because they believed that refugees from Israel stayed there, Neue Zürcher Zeitung writes. Local media reported that dozens of men broke into a hotel to check the passports of hotel guests.
In the city of Nalchik, people lighted tires next to a Jewish cultural centre. The building itself was violated with anti-Jewish slogans, such as “Death to the Jews.”
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