A flight from Israel to Russia had to be diverted on Sunday – and was still facing unrest at the next airport where it landed – when pro-Palestinian mobs stormed the facility seeking to attack Jewish travelers, according to reports.
The flight initially bound for Makhachkala International Airport in the Muslim-majority Russian Republic of Dagestan was diverted after dozens of people waving Palestinian flags took over the facility upon learning of the flight from Tel Aviv, according to the Moscow Times. .
The plane ended up landing at a nearby airport, which rioters were also able to storm, with harrowing footage showing a group of people jumping fences over the runway to try to reach the plane.
Videos posted on social media showed airport staff warning passengers to stay on the plane as the facility was overrun when the plane landed at 7:17 p.m. local time.
Footage also showed rioters stopping cars and travelers at the airport and allegedly checking their passports to see if they were Jewish.
Some of the protesters were seen holding signs that read: “Child murderers have no place in Dagestan” and “We are against Jewish refugees.”
Crazy images on Russian social media from Makhachkala, in the North Caucasus region, where there have been several anti-Semitic protests this weekend.
A crowd of people, some carrying Palestinian flags, stormed the airport looking for passengers on a flight from Tel Aviv. pic.twitter.com/MZxyvxi6T3
-maxseddon (@maxseddon) October 29, 2023
The mob allegedly forced some travelers at the airport to denounce Israel on camera and accept that Jewish refugees were not welcome to stay in Dagestan.
Despite the chaos, Israel’s Foreign Ministry said there were no Israeli citizens or Jews on board the flight from Tel Aviv.
But other Jewish passengers who were at the airport at the time were rounded up by security and scheduled to be evacuated to Moscow “as soon as possible,” the Jerusalem Post said.
All flights to and from Makhachkala were temporarily suspended due to the security violations, according to Russia’s civil aviation agency.
Pro-Palestinian protesters stormed an airport in Makhachkala, Russia, on Sunday in search of Jewish leaflets, according to images posted on XX/@ManiacMagic1 Local residents in Makhachkala, in the Russian Republic of Dagestan, stormed the airport.X/@maxseddon Rioters in a Russian airport tries to reach fliers who could be Jews, video allegedly shows XX/@maxseddon
The drama unfolded after several Telegram channels urged residents of Dagestan, which has an 83% Muslim population, to riot at airports and root out Jewish passengers, according to Medizona, an independent Russian media outlet.
Russia’s Investigative Committee, which is investigating major crimes in Dagestan, said on Sunday it had opened a criminal investigation into the disturbing incident, citing “organized mass disorder,” a crime punishable by up to 15 years in prison.
Local Islamic leaders at the Coordination Center for North Caucasus Muslims condemned the violence and asked residents not to respond to calls for violence against Jews spreading online.
Protesters on the tarmac, where they allegedly shouted anti-Semitic slogans.AP People jumped over fences to try to reach the plane.AP
Over the weekend, rioters entered a hotel in the region and searched for Israeli citizens after rumors that “Jewish refugees” were staying there, Medizona reported.
The desperate plight of Jewish refugees can be traced back to the MS St. Louis, a ship carrying more than 900 Jews who lost their homes during the Holocaust and were denied entry to the United States before landing in Cuba in 1939.
The recent rise in anti-Semitism has come since Israel declared war on Hamas after the terrorist group killed more than 1,400 people in the Jewish country on October 7.
A flight headed to Makhachkala International Airport in the Muslim-majority Russian republic of Dagestan had to be diverted on Sunday due to chaotic protests over the plane, which came from Tel Aviv.
US House Speaker Mike Johnson announced Sunday that the Republican-led chamber is expected to pass a $14.5 billion Israel aid bill this week.
“We’re going to introduce a standalone Israel funding bill this week in the House,” Johnson said on Fox News’ Sunday Morning Futures, saying it would not include aid for Ukraine’s fight against Russia. “We believe it is a pressing and urgent need.”
Categories: Trending
Source: vtt.edu.vn