The Russian word “pogrom” became part of the international lexicon after particularly severe incidents of violence against the Jewish community in Russia at the end of the 19th century, which were carried out while the Russian Empire authorities turned a blind eye to the attacks. History in Russia seems to be repeating itself.
The pogrom at the airport in Makhachkala, the capital of Dagestan, on October 29, was a new height in a series of antisemitic events in the Caucasus region of Russia over the past weekend. On October 28, in Nalchik, the capital of Kabardino-Balkaria, adjacent to Dagestan, residents of the city threw Molotov cocktails and set fire to the Jewish community building that was under construction. In Cherkessk, the capital of Karachay-Cherkessia, protestors gathered for a demonstration in front of the local government building and demanded that all Jews be expelled from the area. In the city of Khasavyurt in Dagestan, an enraged mob broke into two hotels in the city to look for Jews and Israelis. That same day, the local Telegram channels began to put out a call to the residents to come to the Makhachkala airport to prevent the entry of the “refugees from Israel.” According to various estimates, about 1,500 people responded to this call and waged the pogrom. The police did not confront the crowd, which raged without interruption for long hours and without the response of the security forces.
Dagestan, Kabardino-Balkaria, and Karachay-Cherkessia are Russian autonomous regions (republics) in the North Caucasus region, where the majority of the population is Muslim (Sunni). These areas are economically, socially, and infrastructurally inferior, with a high percentage of a young population. The unemployment level in Dagestan is among the highest in Russia (10 percent), and the situation is similar in the other republics. To ensure the stability of these districts, the federal government gives them the highest subsidies in the country. The combination of the above-mentioned difficulties with the serious problem of corruption has contributed to the process of Islamist radicalization in Dagestan and other provinces. Ties have tightened between Dagestan and Iran in the economic field (Iran is Dagestan's second largest trade partner), including the construction of the Iran-Azerbaijan-Dagestan transport route.
In response to the antisemitic pogrom, President Putin pointed the finger of blame at the United States – in his words, the “root of evil in the world.” According to Putin, the US is holding the reins both in Ukraine and the Middle East and wants to sow chaos in the world in order to continue its control. He did not condemn the rioters and their actions. To him, the United States is the element behind the attempts to damage Russia's stability in the wake of the war in the Middle East. Putin has also blamed Israel, which, according to him, instead of fighting the terrorists, chose collective punishment against the Palestinians. According to him, “The terrible situation in Gaza, where hundreds of thousands of innocent people who have nowhere to run or hide from the bombs are killed indiscriminately, cannot be justified under any circumstances.” He also said that he understands the feelings evoked by the difficult images of children, women, and old people killed in Gaza, but called on Russian citizens not to react emotionally. According to him, the right course of action is to “take up arms and join your brothers” in the Russian army who are fighting in Ukraine “for Russia and for the whole world, including the future of the Palestinian people".
Putin's response constitutes a further escalation in the anti-American and anti-Israeli rhetoric since the events of October 7. It reveals a conspiratorial and manipulative worldview that presents the attacker as a victim, denies Israel's right to respond, and blames the US for all the evil in the world. Putin's anti-Israel rhetoric, which is a direct continuation of antisemitic statements over the last six weeks, and its dire result in the form of the first pogrom in Russia after more than a century must be taken seriously.
The Russian word “pogrom” became part of the international lexicon after particularly severe incidents of violence against the Jewish community in Russia at the end of the 19th century, which were carried out while the Russian Empire authorities turned a blind eye to the attacks. History in Russia seems to be repeating itself.
The pogrom at the airport in Makhachkala, the capital of Dagestan, on October 29, was a new height in a series of antisemitic events in the Caucasus region of Russia over the past weekend. On October 28, in Nalchik, the capital of Kabardino-Balkaria, adjacent to Dagestan, residents of the city threw Molotov cocktails and set fire to the Jewish community building that was under construction. In Cherkessk, the capital of Karachay-Cherkessia, protestors gathered for a demonstration in front of the local government building and demanded that all Jews be expelled from the area. In the city of Khasavyurt in Dagestan, an enraged mob broke into two hotels in the city to look for Jews and Israelis. That same day, the local Telegram channels began to put out a call to the residents to come to the Makhachkala airport to prevent the entry of the “refugees from Israel.” According to various estimates, about 1,500 people responded to this call and waged the pogrom. The police did not confront the crowd, which raged without interruption for long hours and without the response of the security forces.
Dagestan, Kabardino-Balkaria, and Karachay-Cherkessia are Russian autonomous regions (republics) in the North Caucasus region, where the majority of the population is Muslim (Sunni). These areas are economically, socially, and infrastructurally inferior, with a high percentage of a young population. The unemployment level in Dagestan is among the highest in Russia (10 percent), and the situation is similar in the other republics. To ensure the stability of these districts, the federal government gives them the highest subsidies in the country. The combination of the above-mentioned difficulties with the serious problem of corruption has contributed to the process of Islamist radicalization in Dagestan and other provinces. Ties have tightened between Dagestan and Iran in the economic field (Iran is Dagestan's second largest trade partner), including the construction of the Iran-Azerbaijan-Dagestan transport route.
In response to the antisemitic pogrom, President Putin pointed the finger of blame at the United States – in his words, the “root of evil in the world.” According to Putin, the US is holding the reins both in Ukraine and the Middle East and wants to sow chaos in the world in order to continue its control. He did not condemn the rioters and their actions. To him, the United States is the element behind the attempts to damage Russia's stability in the wake of the war in the Middle East. Putin has also blamed Israel, which, according to him, instead of fighting the terrorists, chose collective punishment against the Palestinians. According to him, “The terrible situation in Gaza, where hundreds of thousands of innocent people who have nowhere to run or hide from the bombs are killed indiscriminately, cannot be justified under any circumstances.” He also said that he understands the feelings evoked by the difficult images of children, women, and old people killed in Gaza, but called on Russian citizens not to react emotionally. According to him, the right course of action is to “take up arms and join your brothers” in the Russian army who are fighting in Ukraine “for Russia and for the whole world, including the future of the Palestinian people".
Putin's response constitutes a further escalation in the anti-American and anti-Israeli rhetoric since the events of October 7. It reveals a conspiratorial and manipulative worldview that presents the attacker as a victim, denies Israel's right to respond, and blames the US for all the evil in the world. Putin's anti-Israel rhetoric, which is a direct continuation of antisemitic statements over the last six weeks, and its dire result in the form of the first pogrom in Russia after more than a century must be taken seriously.