On October 30, 2023, at an airfield in Makhachkala, Russia, a group of people engaged in an anti-Israel protest that turned into an antisemitic attack. The incident has raised concerns about growing interethnic tensions in Russia and the need for increased protection of the country’s Jewish community. Several hundred pro-Palestinian protesters stormed the airport terminal and runway, targeting passengers from a flight originating in Tel Aviv due to their opposition to the war between Israel and Hamas. Video footage and reports indicate that some individuals shouted antisemitic slogans, while others waved Palestinian flags and chanted “Allahu Akbar.” Passengers on a plane from Tel Aviv were surrounded and their passports were checked based on their nationality. Russian media reported that over 150 participants in the riot had been identified, with 60 of them being detained. The incident has highlighted divisions within Russia’s diverse population, particularly between the declining Jewish community and the Muslim populace, as Islam is the second-largest religion in the country. Dagestan, where the incident occurred, is a mainly Muslim republic within Russia’s North Caucasus region. The incident also poses a challenge for the Kremlin, which has been slow to respond to events that exacerbate ethnoreligious tensions in the past. Israel has called on Russia to safeguard the well-being of its citizens and Jews. Russia’s Federation of Jewish Communities also called for a harsh response and punishment for the organizers and participants of the antisemitic actions. The incident in Dagestan is indicative of wider demographic tensions in Russia, which has a diverse population in terms of ethnicity, religion, culture, and language. The Kremlin has had to navigate competing ethnic and religious groups throughout Putin’s tenure. While Putin and his Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov have been accused of fostering antisemitic sentiment, particularly against Ukraine and its Jewish president, Russia has also sought to present itself as a religiously tolerant country. Nonetheless, the recent episode of antisemitic aggression in Dagestan raises concerns for Jews in the region and Russia as a whole. It highlights the need for effective protection of religious minorities and the rule of law in the country. Antisemitic incidents have also been reported in other parts of the North Caucasus in recent times.
Growing ethnic tensions in Russia highlighted by an anti-Israel airport mob
