MOSCOW, Russia: A mob looking for Israelis and Jews overran an airport in Russia's Caucasus republic of Dagestan on Sunday, after rumors spread that a flight was arriving from Israel.
The violence in the mostly Muslim region, which erupted amid the war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, prompted Israel to call on Russia to protect its citizens.The governor of Dagestan promised that those responsible for the incident would be punished.Dozens of protesters, many of them chanting 'Allahu Akbar' broke through doors and barriers, with some running onto the runway, according to videos posted on social media and Russia's RT and Izvestia media.
'Earlier Sunday, Akhmed Dudayev, the minister of information in Dagestan's neighbor Chechnya, warned on Telegram against 'provocations' and called for calm in the face of rising tensions in the Caucasus.The Dagestan government posted on Telegram appealing to those involved to stop their 'illegal acts' despite their anger over the 'inhumane massacre' of a civilian population — the Palestinian people.