After Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s words claiming that Adolf Hitler was of Jewish origin, Israel condemned Lavrov’s words and summoned the Russian Ambassador to Israel to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
LAVROV’S WORDS CONFIRMED
Relations between Russia and Israel became tense after the statements of Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. Lavrov told Italian television that he thought Nazi leader Adolf Hitler was of Jewish origin and that “the biggest anti-Semitic opponents were Jews.” The ministry said Lavrov’s words were an “unforgivable” lie that humiliated the horrors of the Nazi Holocaust.
“SHOULD END IMMEDIATELY”
Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said in a statement, “Such lies aim to accuse Jews of the most horrific crimes committed against them in history,” and said, “The use of the Holocaust against the Jewish people for political purposes must be stopped immediately.”
Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid, whose grandfather was one of the victims of the Holocaust, dismissed Lavrov’s claim that pro-Nazi elements dominated the Ukrainian government and military, declaring that accusing Jews of being anti-Semitic is “the most fundamental level of racism.” “The Ukrainians are not Nazis. Only the Nazis were Nazis and they are the only ones interested in the systematic extermination of the Jewish people,” Lapid said.
Dani Dayan, Chairman of Yad Vashem, Israel’s commemoration of the six million Jews killed in the Holocaust, stated that Lavrov’s words were “an insult and a heavy blow to the victims of real Nazism”, adding that Lavrov was “actually a Jew with no foundation”. He said he was spreading the “anti-conspiracy theory”.
CONDEMNATION FROM UKRAINE
Ukraine also condemned Lavrov’s words, stating that Lavrov’s “disgusting words” were offensive statements directed at Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Israel, Ukraine and Jews. “More generally, they show that today’s Russia is full of hatred towards other nations,” Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmitro Kuleba said on his social media account.
WHAT DID LAVROV SAY?
When asked why Russia wanted Ukraine to be freed from Nazis even though Zelensky is of Jewish origin, Lavrov replied, “When they say what kind of Naziization is this if we are Jewish, I think Hitler is also of Jewish origin, so it doesn’t make any sense.” Lavrov also said, “We’ve heard for a long time that wise Jews say that the biggest antisemitists are the Jews themselves.”
Source: UAV