Security concerns for Israelis in Uzbekistan

As the war between Iran and Israel reaches a critical point, Israelis residing in Uzbekistan have been issued a serious warning. In response to recent developments in the Middle East, the Israeli Embassy in Tashkent announced that it is providing necessary support to Israeli citizens in Uzbekistan and Tajikistan.

The National Security Council also urged all Israeli citizens abroad, including those in Uzbekistan, to take heightened precautions. Specifically, they were advised not to display Jewish or Israeli symbols in public, avoid sharing their location or travel plans on social media, and stay away from public events related to Israel or Judaism. Citizens were also encouraged to cooperate with local security services, strictly follow instructions in case of danger, and remain vigilant in public spaces.

Furthermore, Israelis in Uzbekistan were advised to use only trusted taxi apps and avoid getting into random vehicles. In case of an emergency, they are instructed to contact local law enforcement immediately and report incidents to the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs' operations center at 02-5303155.

Such warnings are not unique to Uzbekistan, as similar alerts have been issued to Israeli citizens worldwide. However, a concerning incident involving the Israeli Embassy in Tashkent occurred approximately one and a half years ago. On October 19, 2023, around 4:30 a.m., a young student attempted to set fire to the embassy building. The attack came just 11 days after the beginning of Israel's military campaign in Gaza.

The perpetrator, born in 2004 in the Fergana region, was a second-year student at the Uzbekistan State University of World Languages. According to court records, on the day of the incident, he carried a sports bag containing a 0.45-liter glass bottle filled with flammable kerosene, a dumbbell, two boxes of matches, and pieces of cloth. He approached the embassy on his bicycle, where his suspicious behavior attracted the attention of officers from the Yakkasaroy District Internal Affairs Department No. 4, located nearby.

When asked to stop, the student attempted to flee on his bicycle. Officers pursued him in a patrol vehicle, apprehended him, and brought him to the department building, where they asked him to open his bag. At that point, the student distracted the officers, retrieved the kerosene-filled bottle and a dumbbell from his bag, and ran toward the embassy. Officers from the Internal Affairs Department and the National Guard guarding the embassy managed to detain him near the entrance. Before being caught, he threw the bottle and dumbbell over the embassy wall into the courtyard.

In his court testimony, the student—identified as A.A.—said he had been watching videos in mid-October 2023 showing armed clashes between Israel and Palestine in Gaza, which led him to develop a negative perception of the Israeli state. Motivated by a desire for revenge, he admitted that he intended to set the embassy on fire. The Yakkasaroy District Criminal Court found him guilty under Part 1 of Article 155 (terrorism) of the Criminal Code and sentenced him to five years in prison.

Amid the ongoing conflict between Iran and Israel, the Uzbek authorities have also urged the local population to maintain a neutral and responsible stance. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Uzbekistan issued a statement calling on citizens to avoid reacting to the conflict based on religious, racial, or other personal affiliations, and to reject any form of hate speech or incitement to violence.

“We call on our citizens not to succumb to various provocations and offensive calls, and to maintain a restrained, rather than emotional, attitude toward the situation. We remind everyone that preserving national and religious harmony in our society is a key pillar of general stability and security,” the MFA statement said.