Kochi: Twenty persons were injured, two of them seriously, when security forces tried to disperse people protesting against Israel by besieging Makhachkala airport in Russia on Sunday.
The protestors shouted slogans when a plane from Tel Aviv landed in Makhachkala in Dagestan in north Caucasus during a transit flight to take off two to Moscow hours later, reports said.
Makhachkala is among various locations in Russia with a significant Muslim population.
The protestors breached security and some trespassed into the runway.
Security personnel were dispatched to flush out the protestors from the airport which would remain closed until November 6.
A protester carried a placard saying “Child killers are not welcome in Dagestan”.
Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appealed to Russia to ensure the safety of all Israelis.
The government in Dagestan urged people of the republic to treat the current situation in the world with understanding, the reports said.
Federal authorities and international organizations are making every effort to bring about a ceasefire against Gaza civilians …,
the Dagestani government wrote on Telegram.
The Supreme Mufti of Dagestan, Sheikh Akhmad Afandi appealed to the people to maintain peace.
“… 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 to Telegram.
Dagestan and Chechnya are predominantly Muslim regions in Russia and they had clashes with the central government in the past.
A Jewish center in another North Caucasus republic, Kabardino-Balkaria, was set on fire in Nalchik city.
The United States has condemned the “antisemitic protests” at Dagestan airport, reports quoting a White House National Security Council spokeswoman said.
It may be recalled that the Israel-Hamas clashes started from October 7 after Hamas militants launched an attack across the Gaza border killing 1,400 individuals and abducting 230, media reports quoting Israeli authorities said.
In response, Israel conducted airstrikes on Gaza resulting in huge casualties with half of them children, the reports quoting the health department in the Hamas-controlled region said.
Anti Israel protest in Russia
