“SURGE IN ANTISEMITISM”
A statement from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office on Sunday evening said: “Israel expects the Russian authorities to protect all Israeli citizens and all Jews, and to act decisively against the rioters and against incitement to violence against Jews and Israelis.”
White House National Security Council spokeswoman Adrienne Watson said: “The United States vigorously condemns the antisemitic protests in Dagestan, Russia.
“The US unequivocally stands with the entire Jewish community as we witness a worldwide surge in antisemitism,” Watson said on X, formerly Twitter.
Dagestan governor Melikov on Sunday posted a message, saying: “All Dagestanis empathise with the suffering of victims by the actions of unrighteous people and politicians and pray for peace in Palestine.
“But what happened at our airport is outrageous and should receive the appropriate assessment from law enforcement. This will be done.”
He also claimed on Monday morning that the “initiators of this action are our enemies who organised it from Ukrainian territory”, according to Russia’s Ria-Novosti news agency.
Melikov said the riots were instigated by posts on the social media platform Telegram from Utro Dagestan, run by “traitors” working from Ukraine.
Utro Dagestan, a Telegram channel with about 60,000 followers, had shared a post urging a mass gathering at the airport to prevent the arrival of “undesirable” passengers on the Red Wings flight.
Dagestan and Chechnya are mainly Muslim areas in a region that has witnessed years of violent tension with the central Russian authorities.
The RIA Novosti news agency reported on Sunday that a Jewish centre in another North Caucasus republic – Kabardino-Balkaria – had been set on fire in the city of Nalchik.
Dagestan is Russia’s southernmost territory and one of its poorest regions.
It has taken an active part in the Ukraine offensive – with independent reports showing it has sent proportionally more men to Ukraine than many more ethnically Russian regions.
Source: CNA
