Antisemitic Mob Storms Russian Airport and Threatens Violence Against Arriving Jews
Crowd storming into the airfield of Dagestan’s main airport in Makhachkala, Russia on Oct. 30, 2023. Photo: AP
A mob in the Russian Republic of Dagestan stormed an airfield on Oct. 30, 2023, prompting the closure of an airport and the diversion of flights. The mob, who was seen in video footage waving Palestinian flags and forcing their way through the closed doors of Makhachkala Uytash Airport’s (MCX) international terminal, carried antisemitic signs that included the phrases “We are against Jewish refugees,” and “There is no place for child-killers in Dagestan.”
The group surrounded a RedWings flight, which originated in Tel Aviv and arrived in Makhachkala at 19:19 (7:17 PM), and upon its landing, stormed the airfield. Those who took over the airfield were shown in verified footage destroying airport infrastructure and harassing staff about the location of arriving Israelis. Further, they were shown making violent threats toward Jews, seizing passengers' passports and personal effects. The incident led to Russian authorities diverting all air traffic to alternative destinations, closing the airport, and detaining 60 people.
The Republic of Dagestan, a republic forming part of the Russian Federation, is one of Russia’s majority-Muslim federal subjects. Though the region is dominated religiously by those of the Muslim faith, Jews have also had a consistent and historic presence in the region. Rabbi Ovadia Isakov of the Dagestani city Derbent informed local media sources that “the future of the estimated 300-400 Jewish families” in the region was “in doubt.” The government of Dagestan has voiced support for Gaza throughout the current conflict but has urged its own citizens to remain calm and resist the urge to protest.
Investigation has shown that the mob reacted to a rumor that Israelis were resettling in Dagestan, a falsehood spread over Telegram channels at least 14 days before the storming of the airfield took place. The same Telegram channels purporting false claims about Israel further urged Dagestanis to “report Jews who arrived ‘under the guise of being refugees,’ refuse to sell [Jews] goods or rent them apartments,” adding that “these scum should hear this everywhere they go.” Individual users in the channel increasingly began to threaten violence, leading to offline attacks against Jewish people, including mobbing a local hotel that allegedly hosted a Jewish guest.
Crowd shouting antisemitic slogans on stormed airfield in Makhachkala, Russia on Oct. 30, 2023, upon arrival of aircraft from Tel Aviv, Israel. Source: AP
The government in Moscow has sought to blame the antisemitic mob on “external interference,” implying, without evidence, that Ukraine backed the riot, while U.S. State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller characterized the incident as “look[ing] like a pogrom.” Meanwhile, the governor of Dagestan, Sergei Melikov, denounced the mob in Makhachkala via Telegram, saying, “There is no honor in hurling abuse at strangers, searching their pockets looking for their passports.” Melikov characterized such actions as “a stab in the back” for “Dagestani patriots,” invoking images of the war in Ukraine. He further added that “what happened [in Makhachkala] is outrageous and should receive the appropriate assessment from law enforcement.”