Pro-Palestine protestors storm the tarmac after Russian courts sentenced 135 people to prison for their roles in the October 2023 mob attack on Makhachkala Uytash Airport in Dagestan. Credit: X Screenshot
Mob stormed Makhachkala Airport in 2023 seeking Israeli passengers; 20 injured.
By David Brummer, World Israel News
Russian courts have sentenced 135 people to prison for their roles in the October 2023 mob attack on Makhachkala Uytash Airport in the Muslim-majority region of Dagestan, Russia’s Investigative Committee announced Friday.
The attack occurred amid heightened tensions following the October 7 Hamas massacre in southern Israel and Israel’s subsequent war in Gaza, the Jewish Chronicle reported.
On October 29, 2023, hundreds of young Muslim men stormed the airport after rumours spread that a flight from Tel Aviv had landed.
Footage from the scene showed rioters waving Palestinian flags, shouting “Allahu Akbar” and searching terminals for Jewish and Israeli passengers.
Some protesters stopped cars near the airport, asking if the passengers were “from the Jewish state.”
One participant was quoted saying, “We came for the Jews — to kill them with a knife and shoot them.”
More than 20 people were injured before Russian security forces regained control.
About 15 Israelis and Jews were confirmed to have been at the airport but were sheltered in a secure room before being flown to Moscow. No passengers were physically harmed.
Authorities completed investigations against 139 people, while three others, accused of organizing the riots via Telegram, remain on Russia’s wanted list, according to Reuters.
Sentences for those convicted range from six-and-a-half to 15 years for participating in mass riots and related crimes.
Following the attack, Israel’s Prime Minister’s Office and Foreign Ministry issued a joint statement condemning the attempted lynching.
“Israel takes a grave view of attempts to harm Israeli citizens and Jews anywhere,” the statement said, adding that Jerusalem expected Russian authorities to act decisively against antisemitic incitement and violence.
Russian state outlet RT reported that just a day before the airport incident, Muslim protesters stormed a hotel in Khasavyurt, Dagestan, searching for “Jewish refugees” after hearing false rumours.
Israel’s Ambassador to Russia, Alexander Ben Zvi, engaged with local officials to ensure the safety of Israeli tourists.
Violence against Jews in Dagestan resurfaced in June 2024 when terrorists attacked the coastal city of Derbent. Gunmen opened fire on a synagogue and an Orthodox church.
The synagogue, one of the last in Dagestan, was burned down.
At the church, priest Nikolai Kotelnikov was killed, reportedly by having his throat slit, before the building was set ablaze.
Russia’s National Anti-Terrorist Committee labeled the incidents terrorist acts, later confirming the killing of several attackers.
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