The Kishinev pogrom was an anti-Jewish riot that took place in Kishinev (Chişinău), then the capital of the Bessarabia province of the Russian Empire (now the capital of Moldova) on April 6-7, 1903.

The most popular newspaper in Kishinev, the Russian-language anti-Semitic newspaper Бессарабец (Bessarabetz, meaning "Bessarabian"), published by Pavel Krushevan regularly published articles with titles in reference to the Jewish population such as "Death to the Jews!" and "Crusade against the Hated Race!". When a Christian Ukrainian boy, Mikhail Rybachenko, was found murdered in the town of Dubossary, about 25 miles north of Kishinev and a girl committed suicide by poisoning herself, proclaimed dead in a Jewish Hospital, allegations by Bessarabetz insinuated that both were murdered by the Jews using the claim of blood libel (alleging that the children had been killed to use their blood in preparation of matzo for Passover). Another newspaper, Свет (Svet, "Light") made similar allegations. These allegations sparked the rioting along with the urging of the town's Russian Orthodox Bishop.

Benjamin "Bibi" Netanyahu (Hebrew: בִּנְיָמִין "בִּיבִּי" נְתַנְיָהוּ (help·info); born 21 October 1949) is the current Prime Minister of Israel. He serves also as the Chairman of the Likud Party, as a Knesset member, as the Health Minister of Israel, as the Pensioner Affairs Minister of Israel and as the Economic Strategy Minister of Israel.

Netanyahu is the first Israeli prime minister born in Israel after the founding of the state. Netanyahu joined the Israeli Defense Forces during the 1967 Six-Day War, and became a team leader in the Sayeret Matkal special forces unit. He took part in many missions, including Operation Gift and Operation Isotope, during which he was shot in the shoulder. He fought on the front lines in the Yom Kippur War in 1973, taking part in special forces raids along the Suez Canal, and then leading a commando assault deep into Syrian territory. He achieved the rank of captain before being discharged. Netanyahu served as the Israeli ambassador to the United Nations from 1984 to 1988, member of the Likud Party, and was Prime Minister from June 1996 to July 1999.