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,
The Sunday Morning Herald reports.
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 (local time), looking for Israeli passengers on the flight from Tel Aviv, according to Russian news reports.
The attack seemed to be partly fuelled 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.
One group was seen trying to overturn a police patrol truck, while another video showed rioters on the tarmac surrounding a Red Wings aircraft that had arrived from Tel Aviv.
One placard brandished by rioters in an unverified social media post said: “There is no place for child killers in Dagestan.”
Another said: “We are against Jewish refugees.”
More than 20 people were wounded, with two in a critical condition, and police made 60 arrests. Police also said they had identified 150 of the most active participants.
Israel raised its travel warning level to 4, the highest level, calling on citizens to avoid all travel to Dagestan and neighbouring regions, and for those who are there to leave as soon as possible.
A senior Russian Rabbi on Monday urged the Kremlin to ensure that rioters were harshly punished.
