Pro-Palestine Mob Storms Russian Airport Looking for Jewish Travelers

A mob stormed Makhachkala International Airport in the Russian Republic of Dagestan on Sunday, looking for passengers from a Tel Aviv flight.

The Details: Rioters, who could be heard yelling “Allahu Akbar,” seized control of the airport and its tarmac, waving Palestinian flags and checking travelers’ passports. The targeted flight did not include any Jews, according to Israel’s Foreign Ministry, but airport authorities gathered other Jewish travelers for immediate evacuation to Moscow. The flight eventually landed at a separate airport, which rioters also stormed. Russia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said 60 rioters have been arrested.

For Context: The riot comes just days after Israel announced a widening of operations in its war against Hamas. Dagestan is one of five Russian Republics in the Caucasus region where Islam is the majority faith. Independent Russian media outlet, Mediazona, said rioters also stormed hotels looking for “Israeli nationalists.”

Key Quote: Kremlin Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov said the riot is the result of “external interference,” and that President Vladimir Putin will meet top advisers Monday to discuss "the West's attempts to use the events in the Middle East to split Russian society."

How The Media Covered It: Al Jazeera (Lean Left bias) did not include photos of the events and called them a “protest.” Associated Press’ (Lean Left bias) headline initially described the situation as a “protest” before changing its wording to “antisemitic riot.” Conversely, center- and right-rated outlets tended to describe "rioters" and "mobs." Read more about the ideological divides on Israel and Palestine.