Mob in Russian Airport Leads Putin To Address Antisemitism

Russian President Vladimir Putin called a meeting of top security and law enforcement officials on Monday, the day after an antisemitic mob stormed the airport in the region of Dagestan after a plane from Tel Aviv landed there.

Hundreds of angry men rushed onto the tarmac of the airport in Makhachkala, the capital of the predominantly Muslim region, late on Sunday, looking for Jewish passengers to kill, according to Russian news reports.

The crowd broke out onto the landing field and surrounded the airliner belonging to the Russian carrier Red Wings, with seemingly little resistance from the police, Russian news outlets reported.

Video and photos on social media showed some in the crowd waving Palestinian flags as they stormed the airport building, some shouting “Allahu Akbar.” Videos showed the crowd trying to overturn a police car while some held hand-written banners saying “Child killers are not welcome in Dagestan” and “We’re against Jewish refugees.”

Dagestan’s Ministry of Health said more than 20 people were injured, with two in critical condition. It said the injured included police officers and civilians. The local Interior Ministry said 60 people were detained in the unrest. It was not clear if charges had been filed against any of them, but Russia’s Investigative Committee said it opened a criminal probe on charges of organizing mass unrest.

Recently, Putin met with religious leaders in Russia, including Chief Rabbi Berel Lazar, along with representatives of various faiths and other dignitaries. Rabbi Lazar asked him to help free the hostages in Gaza, and thanked him for leading the fight against antisemitism in the country.

The growing calls for violence against Israel — and Jews — in the weeks since the Oct. 7 attack and the escalation of the Israel-Hamas war have put Jewish communities across the globe on high alert — and on edge.

Following the Dagestan unrest, U.S. Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Antisemitism Deborah Lipstadt condemned “the violent protests that have been reported in Russia threatening Israelis and Jews. We call on Russian authorities to ensure their safety. The U.S. stands with Israel and the entire Jewish community as we see a surge in antisemitism throughout the world. There is no excuse for targeting Jews or engaging in antisemitic incitement anywhere.”

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.”

Netanyahu’s office added that the Israeli ambassador to Russia was working with Russia to keep Israelis and Jews safe.

The anti-Semitic protest and violent hate incident at the Dagestan airport has erupted in other Muslim regions of the Russian Republic as well.

After the recent outbreak of events, Rabbi Berel Lazar, the Chief Rabbi of Russia, said:

“We live in very challenging times, and unfortunately, in recent weeks, these challenges have only increased. Acts of terrorism, conflicts between countries, entire regions engulfed in violence with no end in sight. Instead of peace, mutual understanding, and mutual assistance for the sake of common development, tension, hatred, and even absolute horrors are on the rise. Entire cities, and in some places entire countries, are falling under the rule of terrorists who commit crimes against humanity.

“In Russia, by the grace of God, the relationships between peoples and the unique connections between cultures are special. They have been built over hundreds of years on principles of mutual respect. I have seen this with my own eyes many times, especially every time I visited the North Caucasus, where I experienced joyful feelings when I saw how Muslims and Jews help each other and invite each other to celebrate holidays out of respect and appreciation.

But the events of the past few days show that this traditional friendship is facing a severe test. These events didn’t happen by chance; they were preceded by a passionate surge of extremism and terrorism on social networks. Clearly, we can’t truly influence what’s happening in Gaza or on the Lebanon border; we can only pray together for peace to finally arrive there. But we can, and must, ensure that the toxic seeds of extremism and terrorism do not spread from there to here.

“The federal authorities understand this, and they are doing everything to protect the foundations of our multi-ethnic national state and the unique friendship between the peoples of Russia. I have no doubt that the aggressive actions of blinded extremists promoting hatred in Cherkessk and Nalchik will face strong resistance from law enforcement authorities!”

In conclusion, the Chief Rabbi addressed all residents:

“We all understand that we can’t solve this problem solely through the efforts of the authorities. We, the residents of Russia, representing different nations, faiths, and cultures, must now contribute our part. Therefore, today, I call on every resident and citizen: we all must do everything to preserve this unique atmosphere of mutual respect and support that makes Russia a great place to live. If we allow extremists to burn our bridges of friendship now, it will be very difficult to rebuild them later. Let us demonstrate through our actions that our national traditions are traditions of mutual help, our cultures are cultures of peace, and our faiths are faiths of justice and assistance.”