At least 40 Israeli citizens were detained on Sunday after arriving at Moscow’s Domodedovo Airport from Tel Aviv. They were later released following intervention by Israel’s Foreign Ministry.
Russian security forces reportedly suspected the travelers of ties to Israel’s war against Iran, a nation considered an ally of Moscow.
Officials allegedly told the detainees: “Iran is an ally of Russia and anyone who is an enemy of Iran is our enemy as well.”
The Israeli Foreign Ministry confirmed the incident in a statement on Monday.
“Immediately upon learning of the incident, at the instruction of Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar, the Foreign Ministry acted both with the foreign ministry in Moscow and with the Russian embassy in Israel.”
It added: “Following this intervention, the incident was resolved, and the Israelis’ entry was approved. The Russians were made to understand that this conduct is completely unacceptable, and Israel views the incident with great seriousness.”
According to independent Russian outlet Mediazone, the travelers were interrogated for five hours without food, water, or restroom access.
Those detained included dual citizens and Israelis without Russian passports. They were reportedly asked to unlock their phones, but when they refused, they were told to switch them off.
The Israelis were released only after signing documents stressing the “inadmissibility of violating the law” and warning against future violations.
This incident recalls a 2019 dispute at Domodedovo Airport, when several Israelis were denied entry amid tensions over a bilateral visa agreement. They were eventually permitted to continue their journey.
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