Pro-Palestinian Rioters Look For Jewish Passenger At Russia Airport

The White House condemned a group of pro-Palestinian rioters in Russia who reportedly flooded an airport in Makhachkala, Republic of Dagestan. The incident involved antisemitic chants and the search for passengers from a flight originating in Tel Aviv, Israel.

The airport in Makhachkala closed after rioters flooded the runway on Sunday night, leading to the diversion of all other incoming flights to the city.

White House National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson, in the first public comment from the Biden administration regarding the incident, denounced the “antisemitic protests” in Dagestan, Russia. Watson stated on X, formerly known as Twitter, that the U.S. strongly condemns the antisemitic protests and stands with the entire Jewish community. She highlighted the global increase in antisemitism and emphasized that there is no excuse or justification for such actions.

On social media, some users criticized Watson’s characterization of the incident as a “protest,” arguing that the term “pogrom” would be more appropriate to describe attacks targeting specific ethnic groups, particularly Jewish individuals.