In a heated climate, Muslims hunt down suspected Jews. A group of people apparently tried to attack Israeli refugees at Makhachkala airport.
Due to the conflict in Gaza, anti-Jewish attacks are increasing in Russia’s Muslim-dominated North Caucasus. In Makhachkala, in the Republic of Dagestan, a crowd of people forced their way into the airport on Sunday night because a plane from Tel Aviv had landed there, allegedly carrying refugees from Israel. Many people also rushed to the airfield. The airfield was temporarily closed, as reported by the Tass agency.
Citing state aviation authority Rosawiazija, it is also claimed that arriving planes were diverted to other airports. On Saturday, a crowd of outraged people surrounded a hotel in the Dagestan city of Khasavyurt because of a rumor that refugees from Israel were staying there. The state agency Ria confirmed this incident. According to local reports, several dozen men broke into the hotel to allegedly check the passports of hotel guests. The police isolated the hotel.
The situation is aggravated by the fact that evacuation flights of Russian citizens from Tel Aviv land in the North Caucasus, namely at Makhachkala, Mineralnye Vody and Sochi airports. In the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians, Russian Muslims support their Palestinian brothers.
Jewish cultural center burned down
In Nalchik, tires were set on fire near a Jewish cultural center under construction on Sunday, the Ria news agency reported. According to security authorities of the Kabardino-Balkaria Republic, the building was filled with extremist slogans. According to the photos, it said “Death to the Jews”. In the republic of Karachayevo-Cherkessia, protesters called for the deportation of the local Jewish population.
The head of the Republic of Dagestan, Sergei Melikov, appealed to the population not to be incited by extremists who seek to destabilize the situation. “Because of the fakes spread by our enemies, some young people were about to violate the laws,” he wrote on Telegram. The region’s Islamic clergy also made it clear: “Anti-Semitism has no place in the multi-ethnic North Caucasus.”
President Vladimir Putin met with the heads of religions represented in Russia last week because of the violence in the Middle East. He called for peaceful coexistence among people and religions in the great country. (APA)