Censorship in Uzbekistan: Controversial Remarks by Russian-Israeli Writer Lead to Event Cancellation

A scheduled event featuring Russian-Israeli author Dina Rubina in Uzbekistan was called off after she made controversial statements regarding Gaza, as reported by Russian state media on Thursday, referencing a local ticket office.

The webpage for Rubina’s literary event has been removed, leading visitors to a «404 Page Not Found» error. The news agency RIA Novosti indicated that no formal explanation was provided for the event’s cancellation.

During a recent discussion with TV Rain journalist Mikhail Kozyrev, Rubina made provocative comments, asserting that Israel «has the right to cleanse Gaza and merely turn it into a parking lot» and suggested «dissolving all [Gazans] in hydrochloric acid.»

Additionally, she stated that there are no «innocent civilians» in the Palestinian territory and expressed a desire for the Israeli military to «destroy everyone» living there.

Kozyrev later mentioned that he had removed those remarks from the broadcast, explaining in a Facebook post that he did not believe «such phrases should be aired, regardless of the group in question.»

In another post, the journalist expressed regret for excising the incendiary remarks, recognizing that they were «dehumanizing» and should be presented in their entirety. Kozyrev also provided a link to the full conversation with Rubina on his Facebook page.

Rubina responded on Tuesday, accusing Kozyrev of harboring «malice and manipulation» in his post, alleging he misrepresented her words to create a «dirty smear.»

On the same day, Russia’s Spiritual Administration of Muslims urged law enforcement to investigate Rubina’s comments and called for Russian cultural institutions to cease endorsing her work.

Rubina was born in Soviet Uzbekistan in 1953. Following a career in Moscow, she emigrated to Israel in the 1990s and now holds citizenship there.