Pro-Palestinian protesters storm Russia's Dagestan airport in search of Jews, chant anti-Israel slogans

Hundreds of protesters stormed an airport in southwestern Russia while chanting anti-Israeli slogans on Sunday night (Oct 29). The protesters were looking for Jewish passengers on a flight which had departed from Tel Aviv.

The airport, which is located in the city of Makhachkala in the Republic of Dagestan, had to be closed down after the protesters flooded the runway, as per Russian aviation authority Rosaviatsia. Rosaviatsia had reported that all aircraft, which were flying towards Makhachkala, had to be diverted.

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Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation reported that few Israelis and Jews were "isolated" during the protests at the airport. The protesters were heard yelling "Allahu Akbar" and anti-Semitic slogans.

The passengers were hustled back by the airline employees inside the planes as the mob approached the aeroplane. On Sunday evening, Makhachkala airport was closed by Russia because of the “intruders” at the airport.

“This is your captain,” said one announcement. “There’s an angry mob outside that doesn’t know where we’ve come from and why [we are here]. It’s possible we’ll also come under attack,” he added.

Russian interior ministry on Monday (Oct 30) said that they have arrested 60 people so far in the incident. "More than 150 active participants in the unrest have been identified, 60 of them have been arrested," said the ministry in a statement.

Israel says working towards protecting Israelis

Speaking to Reuters, the foreign ministry in Jerusalem said that an Israeli ambassador in Russia was working along with the authorities for the protection of the Israelis present in the region.

"The State of Israel views gravely attempts to harm Israelis citizens and Jews anywhere," the statement said.

"Israel expects the Russian law enforcement authorities to safeguard all Israeli citizens and Jews, whoever they may be, and to take robust action against the rioters and against the unbridled incitement being directed at Jews and Israelis,” it added.

The majority of people in Dagestan are Muslim. The riots seemed to have been inspired by multiple posts on the social media platform Telegram, where followers were told that a flight from Tel Aviv would be arriving in the evening and would have refugees from Israel. The rioters held some of the signs, which read, “We are against Jewish refugees”.

Head of Dagestan Sergei Melikov said that the riots took place because of external factors, including "fakes spread by our enemies”.

The aviation authority of Russia said that all “unauthorised citizens” were removed from the airport, while video clips which were shared on social media platforms showed police arresting some protesters.

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Speaking to the Podyom news outlet, a government representative of the local Jewish community said, “The situation is very difficult in Dagestan. People from the community are afraid, they call, and I do not know what to advise. Is it worth leaving? Because Russia is not our salvation. There were pogroms in Russia too. It is unclear where to run.”

Russian Jews facing threats?

Meanwhile, speaking to Fox News Digital, foreign affairs expert Rebekah Koffler said the situation "could be a big problem for Putin" if they fail to contain the protests.

"It is terrifying to think what could be happening to Russian Jews again. For 20 years, Putin has pursued largely pro-Jewish, pro-Israel policies. If he doesn’t do it right, this will spill over and destabilise Muslim-populated regions in Russia and may even spark terrorism in bigger cities again," Koffler said.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, condemning the riots, said that they were "appalling”. "This is not an isolated incident in Makhachkala, but rather part of Russia’s widespread culture of hatred toward other nations, which is propagated by state television, pundits, and authorities," he said on X, formerly known as Twitter.

"The Russian foreign minister has made a series of antisemitic remarks in the last year. The Russian President also used antisemitic slurs. For Russian propaganda talking heads on official television, hate rhetoric is routine. Even the most recent Middle East escalation prompted antisemitic statements from Russian ideologists,” the Ukrainian leader said.

(With inputs from agencies)

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