Israel war: Ambassador says Tel Aviv passengers hid in Russian airport during riot

The Israeli ambassador to Russia shed light on the harrowing moments when passengers arriving in southern Russia from Tel Aviv were forced to hide in order to evade rioters upset about the war in Gaza.

Ambassador Alexander Ben Zvi told the Associated Press that Sunday’s threatening crowd at the airport in Makhachkala was the result of extremist elements resulting from ″indoctrination.″

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AP

The Makhachkala airport lies in Dagestan, a predominantly Muslim republic. Despite the concerning scenes of hundreds of protesters storming the airport in pursuit of the Jewish arrivals, Ben Zvi said there is no antisemitism “on an organized level” in Russia. However, he believes the incident must be treated seriously so that the hate does not spread.

“Of course, there has always been, is, and will be antisemitism on the everyday level. The important thing is that it doesn’t develop into what we saw in Makhachkala,” the Israeli envoy said. “If all this is under control, I think there will be no problems.”

At least 20 people, both police and civilians, were injured in the mob assault, and more than 80 were detained, the news outlet reported. However, Ben Zvi said none of the more than 30 Israeli citizens on the Red Wings Airlines flight were hurt. After hiding, they were eventually flown by helicopter away to a closed facility.

The mob included men shouting antisemitic phrases and brandishing anti-Israeli flags as they rushed the terminal and flooded onto the tarmac trying to identify Israeli passengers. Some of them threw stones at police.

The Dagestani government, which had supported Gazan citizens previously, issued a statement on Sunday discouraging the protests against the Israelis. Even the supreme mufti of Dagestan, Sheikh Akhmad Afandi, released a video statement telling the protesters they were “mistaken” and that the problem could not “be resolved in this way.”

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Many Israelis have evacuated their country since Hamas’s Oct. 7 attack. The war in Gaza has upended many diplomatic norms and has thrust countries into taking a stance regarding the conflict.

About 1,400 Israelis died on Hamas’s surprise Oct. 7 attack. Gaza’s government has said more than 8,500 Palestinians have died in Israel’s attacks since that fateful day.