Roving Periscope: Angry Muslims build pressure against Israel, worldwide
Virendra Pandit
New Delhi: Ignoring the Hamas’ brutal invasion of Israel on October 7, which has since left nearly 10,000 people dead and wounded many more on both sides in the ongoing Israeli counteroffensive, Muslim activists across the world are building up pressure on their respective governments to take action against the Jewish nation.
While several nations have reported such rallies—a senior Hamas official even addressed an online meeting to a Muslim crowd in Kerala, India, last week—the latest report from Russia alerted governments worldwide on Monday.
An angry crowd of Muslims, chanting anti-Semitic slogans, stormed Russia’s airport at Makhachkala, the capital of the Muslim-dominated Dagestan region, on Sunday to protest against a flight from Israel. They also injured officials, forcing them to suspend all flights to and from the airport for a week, the media reported.
Local news reports said the airliner in question belonged to Russian carrier Red Wings.
“More than 150 active participants in the unrest have been identified, and 60 of them have been arrested,” Russia’s interior ministry said in a statement.
Nine police officers were injured in clashes with the crowd, including the two who were hospitalized.
Hundreds of people broke past security and gatecrashed the main airport in Russia’s Dagestan region, ostensibly to protest against the arrival of a flight from Israel amid the ongoing fierce war in Gaza. Some activists even crowded the runway briefly, until security forces removed them.
Social media footage showed panicked passengers rushing to re-enter the plane amid commotion on the runway of Makhachkala Airport.
Videos also showed the protesting crowd breaking down glass doors and running through the airport, with some chanting anti-Jewish slogans. On the landing field, some were seen waving Palestinian flags, and others checking the passports of arriving passengers.
Several local Telegram channels also showed photos and videos of dozens of people waiting outside the airport seemingly to stop cars. Another group was seen trying to topple over a patrol truck. One protester could be seen in the videos holding a sign reading: “Child killers have no place in Dagestan.”
The incident came as Israel pushes forward with expanded ground operations inside the Gaza Strip, even as heavy aerial bombardment continues. Officials in Gaza say more than 8,000 Palestinians, including 3,324 children, have been killed since the war began on October 7, when Hamas, the terror group running the besieged Palestinian enclave, launched a surprise attack inside Israel.
At least 1,400 Israelis and foreign nationals have been killed in the Hamas attack, according to Israeli officials.
In a statement released on Sunday night, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said that Israel “expects the Russian law enforcement authorities to protect the safety of all Israeli citizens and Jews wherever they may be and to act resolutely against the rioters and against the wild incitement directed against Jews and Israelis.”
Earlier on Sunday, the RIA Novosti news agency reported that a Jewish center in the city of Nalchik, in the nearby republic of Kabardino-Balkaria, had been set on fire.
Israeli media reported, citing security officials, that the Israeli passengers were isolated and guarded at Makhachkala Airport after the incident in Dagestan.
Russia’s civilian aviation agency, Rosaviatsia, reported late on Sunday that the airfield had been cleared of unauthorized people but that the airport would tentatively remain closed to incoming aircraft until November 6.
While voicing support for Gaza, Dagestan’s regional government appealed to citizens to remain calm and not take part in such protests.
The government also warned the protesters on Telegram “not to continue illegal acts and not to interfere with the work of airport employees.”
The government statement, supporting the Palestinian cause, added: “It is not easy for each of us to stand and watch the inhumane massacre of a civilian population – the Palestinian people. At the same time, we urge residents of the republic not to succumb to provocations of destructive groups and not to create panic in society.”
The Supreme Mufti of Dagestan, Sheikh Akhmad Afandi, had also called on residents to stop the unrest at the airport.
“You are mistaken. This issue cannot be resolved in this way. We understand and perceive your indignation very painfully… We will solve this issue differently. Not with rallies, but appropriately. Maximum patience and calm for you,” he said in a video published on Telegram.
Adrienne Watson, a spokesperson for the White House National Security Council, condemned the incident and said the United States “unequivocally stands with the entire Jewish community as we witness a worldwide surge in antisemitism”.
