Dramatic incidents in Russia. Extreme anti-semitic behaviours
Shocking scenes unfolded at Makhachkala airport in Russia, as an aggressive mob stormed the airport building, chanting "Allahu Akbar" and demanding to hand over Jewish passengers. This event is not an isolated instance of anti-Semitic aggression in Russia.
4:38 PM EDT, October 29, 2023
Anti-Semitic incidents recently erupted in Dagestan, a republic in southern Russia. Recordings shared by Nexta and Belsat reveal hostile crowds scouring Makhachkala's airport for "Jews", with the perpetrators shouting "Allahu Akbar".
Anti-Semitic Outbursts in Russia
A furious, anti-Semitic crowd reportedly demanded access to passengers of a plane arriving from Tel Aviv. On-site intervention was conducted by OMON units.
Such anti-Semitic behavior is not confined to this airport instance in Dagestan. As reported by Radio Svoboda, residents in Khasavyurt gathered in front of the Flamingo and Kiev hotels in the evening, insisting on evicting supposed "refugees from Israel".
Stone Pelting at Windows
The Utro Dagestan Telegram channel shared an anonymous tip stating that "the Flamingo hotel is full of Jews". The same channel posted messages with the text, "Suitcase – Station – Birobidzhan!" (Birobidzhan is the capital of the Jewish Autonomous Oblast in far east Russia) as well as calls to block Israeli passengers from entering the city.
Videos of aggrieved Khasavyurt residents at the Flamingo and Kiev hotels surfaced on Telegram channels reporting events in Dagestan.
The perpetrators demanded the hotel guests to appear at the windows. When there was no response, some crowd members started throwing stones at the windows.
The Russian independent portal, Mediazone, informed that representatives of the demonstrators entered the hotels and inspected the rooms for Israeli guests with the permission of the Ministry of the Interior. They found no Jewish individuals present.
At the Flamingo hotel, a statement appeared on the door stating: "Foreigners from Israel (Jews) are strictly forbidden to enter! (and they do not live here!)".
Dagestan's leader, Sergei Melikov, posted on his Telegram channel on Sunday, attributing the incident to those attempting to "exploit events in the Middle East". Although Melikov remarked that the event "reflects poorly on its participants", he directed the brunt of the blame towards the "instigators".
Anti-Semitic Incidents in the Caucasus
A protest demanding a ban on Israeli newcomers was held on Saturday in Cherkessk, the capital of the North Caucasian Republic of Karachay-Cherkessia. According to the Base channel, approximately 500 demonstrators congregated in front of the authorities' headquarters, making an additional demand – eviction of all Jews from the republic, as reported by Radio Svoboda.
Several Telegram channels in Nalchik, Kabardino-Balkaria, a northern Russian Caucasus republic, reported that unidentified persons had set fire to a Jewish cultural center under construction, leaving inscriptions promoting violence against Jews.
Chechnya's leader, Ramzan Kadyrov, which shares borders with Dagestan, strongly condemns Israel. On his Telegram channel, he refers to Israeli soldiers as "terrorists and fascists", describing their actions in the Gaza Strip as "Muslim genocide". He adds that daily prayers for Palestinians are held in the republic.
According to the Dagestan Muftiate, thousands of worshippers participated in collective prayers for Palestine and all Muslims at the Juma central mosque in Makhachkala, the republic's capital.
