Controversy Erupts as Russian-Israeli Authors Tashkent Talk Canceled Following Gaza Remarks

A scheduled event featuring Russian-Israeli author Dina Rubina in Uzbekistan has been canceled after she made controversial comments regarding Gaza, according to reports from Russian state media, which referenced a local ticketing agency.

The page for tickets to Rubina’s literary discussion has been removed, leading visitors to a “404 Page Not Found” message. The news outlet RIA Novosti reported that no official explanation was provided for the cancellation.

In a recent interview with journalist Mikhail Kozyrev from TV Rain, Rubina made provocative statements, asserting that Israel «has the right to cleanse Gaza and effectively convert it into a parking lot,» and suggested that they could «dissolve all [Gazans] in hydrochloric acid.»

She further stated that there are no “innocent civilians” in the area and expressed a desire for the Israeli military to «eliminate everyone» residing there.

Kozyrev later mentioned that he had edited out those statements from the broadcast, explaining in a Facebook post his belief that “such phrases should not be aired, regarding any group of individuals.”

In a follow-up post, the journalist apologized for censoring the inflammatory comments, admitting they were “dehumanizing” and should be presented in their entirety. He also shared a link to the full interview with Rubina on his Facebook page.

On Tuesday, Rubina countered these remarks, labeling Kozyrev’s post as filled with “malice and manipulation,” and accused him of twisting her words to create a “dirty smear.”

That same day, the Spiritual Administration of Muslims in Russia urged law enforcement to investigate Rubina’s statements and recommended that cultural organizations in Russia cease promoting her work.

Rubina was born in Soviet Uzbekistan in 1953. After working in Moscow, she emigrated to Israel in the 1990s and is now a citizen of that country.