The White House released a statement recently that compares the Russian security forces storming a civilian airport to the anti-Jewish pogroms that occurred in Europe during the 19th and 20th centuries. This statement comes after days of reports that Russian security forces have stormed a civilian airport in Belgorod, Russia, resulting in injuries to airport passengers.
The White House’s statement described the storming of the airport as a “chilling reminder of the pogroms that occurred in Europe in the 19th and 20th centuries.” The statement continued on, stating that these pogroms were “cruel acts of violence” against Jewish people. It concluded by condemning “Russian attempts to use police forces to exert political power, reminiscent of the actions used at the time of the pogroms.”
Pogroms, which originated from the Russian term “to wreak havoc”, have been defined as large-scale, organized, and anti-Semitic acts of violence against Jewish people throughout Europe in the 19th and 20th centuries. These acts of violence were enacted by mobs of locals, as well as government-sanctioned forces. Such tactics included torture, the looting of Jewish homes and businesses, destruction of holy books, and violence and murder on a large scale.
The White House’s statement, however, is far from the first sign of international disapproval of the recent airport storming in Belgorod. Other international leaders, as well as NGOs, have voiced their dissent of Russian actions in Belgorod, most notably German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who called the storming of the airport a “deeply disturbing display of force.”
The government of Russia has responded to international criticism of their actions in Belgorod, stating that their security forces only responded because the airport had become a hotbed of terrorism. However, the airport’s security team has underestimated the threat of terrorism for weeks, and the storming of the airport was not necessary to disarm any potential terrorists, as there were few at the time.
The White House’s comparison of the storming of Belgorod airport to pogroms is an apt reminder that Russia’s actions can no longer be tolerated. Such displays of brutality are not befitting of a modern nation, and should be stopped by further diplomacy and international pressure. The current government of Russia must understand that such acts of violence will be met with more than just words, and that these pogrom-style tactics have no place in a contemporary society.
