Apparently 20 people were injured in the anti-Jewish riots in Makhachkala, Russia. There is strong criticism from the USA and Israel. There have been several anti-Semitic attacks recently in the North Caucasus.
Because of the war in the Middle East, there are increasing anti-Jewish attacks in Russia’s Muslim-dominated North Caucasus. In Makhachkala in the Republic of Dagestan, a crowd of people forced their way into the airport on Sunday evening because a plane from Tel Aviv had landed there, allegedly carrying refugees from Israel. Numerous people also stormed onto the airfield.
More than 20 people were injured in the incident, including police and civilians, the Russian state news agency Tass reported on Monday night, citing the local Ministry of Health. Ten people were treated in hospital, two of them are in critical condition
The airfield was temporarily closed and arriving planes were diverted to other airports, the state aviation regulator Rosawiazija Tass said. Rosawiazija later announced that security forces had cleared the area. The airport will remain closed until November 6th. According to the Russian Interior Ministry, 60 people were arrested.
Governor appeals to the population
Dagestan’s regional government expressed its support for the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip on Telegram, but at the same time appealed to citizens not to take part in such protests. “We ask the residents of the Republic to view the current situation in the world with understanding. Federal authorities and international organizations are making every effort to bring about a ceasefire against the civilian population in the Gaza Strip.”
The governor of Dagestan, Sergei Melikov, announced consequences: the actions at Makhachkala airport were “a gross violation of the law,” he wrote on Telegram. What happened there was “outrageous” and “will be appropriately assessed by law enforcement authorities.”
The Supreme Mufti of Dagestan, Sheikh Akhmed Afandi, called on residents to end the unrest at the airport: “This problem cannot be solved in this way. We understand and feel your indignation very painfully,” he said in a message published on Telegram Video. “We will solve this problem differently. Not with rallies, but in an appropriate way.”
USA condemns the protests
The US National Security Council condemned the “anti-Semitic protests” in Dagestan. “The United States stands with the entire Jewish community in the face of a global rise in anti-Semitism. There is never an excuse or justification for anti-Semitism,” wrote spokeswoman Adrienne Watson on the X platform that night.
Israel had previously called on the Russian authorities to protect its citizens on Sunday. “Russian law enforcement authorities are expected to ensure the safety of all Israeli citizens and Jews and take decisive action against rioters and rampant incitement against Jews and Israelis,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office and the Foreign Ministry jointly said.
Israel takes attempts to harm Israeli citizens and Jews very seriously and is monitoring events in Dagestan, the statement said. The Israeli ambassador to Russia, Alex Ben Zvi, is working with the Russian authorities to ensure the well-being of Jews and Israelis there.
Kremlin spokesman Dimitri Peskov did not want to comment on possible measures against the participants. However, he showed a certain understanding for the heated mood there – many people were upset by the disturbing images from the Gaza Strip. A special meeting with President Vladimir Putin is planned for the evening. This remains to be seen first – but he made it clear that the Kremlin sees the West as the mastermind of the incidents.
Extremist graffiti
On Saturday, a crowd surrounded a hotel in the city of Khasavyurt, Dagestan, because of a rumor that refugees from Israel were being housed there. The state agency Ria confirmed this incident. According to local reports, several dozen men broke into the hotel to allegedly check the passports of hotel guests. The police sealed off the hotel.
The situation is made worse by the fact that the evacuation flights for Russian citizens from Tel Aviv land in the predominantly Muslim North Caucasus, namely at the Makhachkala, Mineralnye Vody and Sochi airports.
In Nalchik, tires were set on fire next to an under-construction Jewish cultural center on Sunday, Russian state news agency Ria reported. According to the security authorities of the Kabardino-Balkaria Republic, the building was daubed with extremist slogans. According to photos, it said “Death to the Jews.”
In the republic of Karachayevo-Cherkessia, demonstrators demanded that the local Jewish population be deported.
President Vladimir Putin met with the heads of the religions represented in Russia last week because of the violence in the Middle East. He called for peaceful coexistence between peoples and religions in the large country.
With information from Stephan Laack, ARD Studio Moscow