Jewish places of worship were violently attacked on Sunday in both Russia and the United States, as the world continues to spiral out of control over the conflict in Gaza.
More than 15 police officers, and several civilians, were killed by terrorists in southern Russia’s Republic of Dagestan, authorities said early Monday.
Dagestan’s Interior Ministry confirmed that gunmen had opened fire at a synagogue and a church in the coastal city of Derbent. The state-run RIA Novosti outlet reported that both buildings caught fire, adding that the synagogue, one of the last in Dagestan, burned down.
Terrorists just set fire to a synagogue and church in Dagestan and killed six police officers and a priest. Back in October a mob went hunting Jews in Dagestan airport and a British pro-Pal cheered them on. I feel sick. pic.twitter.com/f8Nw7leETb
— Heidi Bachram 🎗️ (@HeidiBachram) June 23, 2024
At the Orthodox church, a priest was killed. Father Nikolai Kotelnikov reportedly had his throat slit before the church was set on fire.
Parallel to the attacks in Derbent, reports appeared about attacks on a church and a traffic police post in the capital, Makhachkala, as well as a shooting targeting a police vehicle in the town of Sergokala.
Israel’s Foreign Ministry called the series of events a coordinated terrorist assault, and noted that given it was Sunday, there was no one in the synagogues, and no injuries among the Jewish community in Dagestan.
BREAKING:
Islamist terror attack in Dagestan, Russia against a synagogue and a church.
At least 5 police officers k*lled and 1 priest beheaded.
The bearded terrorists are all dressed in black and are shouting “Allahu Akbar” pic.twitter.com/m8TsDOymsq
— Visegrád 24 (@visegrad24) June 23, 2024
Dagestan has been a flashpoint of Muslim violence against Jews in the wake of Hamas’s invasion of southern Israel on October 7 of last year.
In the month following the massacre of 1,200 people in Israel, a flight from Tel Aviv to Dagestan was forced to divert after rioters stormed Makhachkala Uytash Airport, seeking to lynch Jewish travelers.
Hundreds of Russian Muslims overran the airport, with video footage showing rioters with Palestinian flags shouting Allahu akbar as they searched the terminals for Israeli passengers.
Other videos showed Muslim protesters stopping vehicles in the area to ask motorists if they were transporting Israelis. “We came for the Jews—to kill them with a knife and shoot them,” one was quoted as saying.
The situation isn’t much better in the United States.
Violent clashes broke out after a mob of pro-Palestinian rioters surrounded the Adas Torah synagogue in Los Angeles on Sunday.
The video footage from the Palestine protest outside of a synagogue in LA are shocking.
Mob of protestors using violence against Jews in broad daylight.
How does this movement have any legitimacy? https://t.co/guPtwrHBG4 pic.twitter.com/5dNF3oOk8w
— Hen Mazzig (@HenMazzig) June 23, 2024
Video clips that went viral on social media shows the mob beating people identified as Jews or supporters of Israel.
One demonstrator was arrested for carrying a Palestinian flag on a pole with a sharp spike that he apparently intended to use as a weapon.
