Israel has warned its citizens to leave the northern Caucasus after a mob stormed an airport in Russia’s Dagestan region when a flight from Israel landed there. Hundreds of men, some carrying banners with antisemitic slogans, rushed onto the tarmac of the airport in Makhachkala, the capital of the predominantly Muslim region, on Sunday night, looking for Israeli passengers on the flight from Tel Aviv, according to Russian news reports.
Quick Read
- Israel warns citizens to evacuate the northern Caucasus following a mob attack on an airport in Russia’s Dagestan region as an Israeli flight landed.
- Angry mob, some displaying antisemitic banners, stormed the airport tarmac in Makhachkala, targeting Israeli passengers from a Tel Aviv flight.
- Attack seems driven by resentment towards Israel’s actions in Gaza.
- Over 20 people injured, two critically; 60 arrests made.
- Israel elevates travel warning to highest level for Dagestan and neighboring regions.
- Putin, without evidence, alleges that Western spy agencies and Ukrainian agents were behind the riot in Dagestan.
- Putin criticizes both Israel and Hamas for the recent conflict but condemns the Israeli response for targeting civilians.
- Video footage showcases the mob waving Palestinian flags and shouting “Allahu akbar!”.
- A bus carrying passengers from the Israeli flight was halted by the mob; passengers were released after showing Russian passports.
- Authorities took hours to disperse the stone-throwing mob.
- Putin indirectly blames U.S. for Middle Eastern chaos and the conflict in Ukraine.
- Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu urges Russian law enforcement to ensure the safety of Israeli citizens and Jews.
- Israeli Ambassador to Moscow confirms no passengers on the Tel Aviv flight were harmed.
- Makhachkala airport operations resumed, with some airlines still offering flights from Israel to Makhachkala.
- Following the incident, Israel’s National Security Council and Foreign Ministry issued the highest travel warning for Dagestan and nearby regions in southern Russia.
The associated Press has the story:
Israel: Citizens to leave N. Caucasus after mob storms Dagestan airport
Newslooks- JERUSALEM
Israel has warned its citizens to leave the northern Caucasus after a mob stormed an airport in Russia’s Dagestan region when a flight from Israel landed there.
Hundreds of men, some carrying banners with antisemitic slogans, rushed onto the tarmac of the airport in Makhachkala, the capital of the predominantly Muslim region, on Sunday night, looking for Israeli passengers on the flight from Tel Aviv, according to Russian news reports.
The attack seemed to be partly fueled by anger at Israel’s actions in Gaza, where it has been at war with Hamas following a deadly incursion by the militant group earlier this month. Several people in the mob were waving Palestinian flags.
More than 20 people were wounded, with two in critical condition, and police made 60 arrests.
Israel raised its travel warning level to 4, the highest level, calling on citizens to avoid all travel to Dagestan and neighboring regions, and for those who are there to leave as soon as possible.
Putin claims without proof that airport riots targeting Israelis were staged from Ukraine
Newslooks- MOSCOW (AP)
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday charged without offering evidence that Western spy agencies and their Ukrainian agents have helped engineer a riot in the southern region of Dagestan, where a mob stormed the airport after a flight from Israel landed there.
More than 20 people were hurt — none Israelis — in clashes that Putin cast as part of U.S. efforts to weaken Russia.
Hundreds of angry men, some carrying banners with antisemitic slogans, rushed onto the tarmac of the airport in Makhachkala, the capital of the predominantly Muslim region, on Sunday night, looking for Israeli passengers on the flight from Tel Aviv.
Police officers and civilians were injured and two of them were in critical condition, regional health authorities said. More than 80 people were detained in the unrest, according to police. Russia’s Investigative Committee has opened a criminal probe on charges of organizing mass unrest.
Russia has issued carefully calibrated criticism of both sides in the war between Israel and Hamas, a conflict that is giving Moscow new opportunities to advance its role as a global power broker and challenge Western efforts to isolate it over Ukraine.
Speaking to top government officials in televised comments, Putin said the Israel-Hamas war had been triggered by “the terrorist attack against peaceful citizens of Israel and other countries” but said that the Israeli response indiscriminately targeted civilians “who have nowhere to run and nowhere to hide.”
Video and photos on social media showed some in the crowd waving Palestinian flags and shouting “God is great,” as they broke into the airport terminal. Some held handwritten banners saying, “Child killers are not welcome in Dagestan” and “We’re against Jewish refugees.”
Some rushed onto the tarmac Sunday night and surrounded the jet belonging to the Russian carrier Red Wings, only to find it empty. Others stopped a bus carrying passengers from the flight from Israel, including some children who underwent medical treatment and their parents, and started examining their passports. They eventually let them go after some passengers on the bus who had dual Russian and Israeli citizenship showed their Russian passports, according to Russian media reports.
It took the authorities several hours to disperse the mob, which hurled stones at police.
Putin avoided any assessment of the authorities’ response to the airport’s seizure but launched a new attack against the U.S., blaming it for sowing chaos in the Middle East and fueling the fighting in Ukraine.
“The ruling elites of the U.S. and its satellites are the main beneficiaries of the global instability,” Putin said. “They are earning their bloody rent from it.”
Without offering evidence, he also accused “agents of Western special services” in Ukraine of using social networks to provoke the rampages in Dagestan to weaken Russia.
“I’m not certain if everyone in the U.S. leadership is aware of that,” he added. “It wouldn’t hurt if they run a probe into what their special services have been doing in Ukraine, trying to inspire pogroms in Russia. They are real scum, it’s impossible to call them otherwise.”
Russia’s state news agency RIA Novosti cited Dagestan Gov. Sergei Melikov as saying that the unrest was coordinated in a Telegram channel run by “traitors” based in Ukraine, with the goal of destabilizing Dagestan and fueling unrest.
Some local Telegram channels had said before the unrest that “refugees from Israel” were coming to Dagestan. Following some of those posts, a crowd reportedly gathered outside a hotel in the Dagestani city of Khasavyurt on Saturday, searching for Israeli nationals staying in the hotel, but left after not finding any.
Following the Dagestan unrest, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said Israel “expects the Russian law enforcement authorities to protect the safety of all Israeli citizens and Jews wherever they may be and to act resolutely against the rioters and against the wild incitement directed against Jews and Israelis.”
The Israeli Ambassador to Moscow, Alexander Ben Zvi, told the RTVI news outlet that no passengers on the flight, which included Israelis, Russians and people with dual citizenship, were hurt.
The Makhachkala airport resumed operations at 2 p.m. Monday. Some Russian airlines offer flights from Israel to Makhachkala with a subsequent connection to Moscow, a cheaper option compared to direct flights.
In the wake of the rampage, Israel’s National Security Council and the Foreign Ministry said they have updated the travel warning to the highest Level 4 for Dagestan and other regions in southern Russia, advising Israelis to avoid visiting them and urging all those currently there to leave.
