“Unfounded, delusional, dangerous”: These are just three assessments from Israel of statements made by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. In an interview, he accused Jews of anti-Semitism. Israel demands an apology.
Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has caused outrage in Israel with a Nazi comparison in relation to the war of aggression in Ukraine. The government in Jerusalem demanded an apology and summoned the Russian ambassador to an interview on Monday. On Sunday evening on the Italian television channel Rete4, Lavrov repeated the Russian justification for war that Nazis were at work in Ukraine. As a counter-argument, they say: “How can there be a nazification when he (Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy) is a Jew? I may be wrong. But Adolf Hitler also had Jewish blood. That means nothing at all. The wise Jewish people say that the most fervent anti-Semites are usually Jews.”
The Russian Foreign Ministry subsequently released a transcript of Lavrov’s statements. Since the beginning of the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine, Kremlin boss Vladimir Putin has repeatedly stated that he wants to “demilitarize” and “denazify” the neighboring country.
Great outrage against Lavrov in Israel
Israel’s Foreign Minister Jair Lapid spoke on Monday of an “unforgivable, scandalous statement, a terrible historical mistake”. “We expect an apology.” Lapid added: “It wasn’t Jews who killed my grandfather, but Nazis.” He recommended Lavrov to look in a history book. “The Ukrainians are not Nazis. Only the Nazis were Nazis. Only they carried out the systematic extermination of the Jews.” The lowest level of racism against Jews is to accuse Jews themselves of anti-Semitism.
The director of the Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial, Dani Dayan, called Lavrov’s statements “unfounded, delusional and dangerous”. Lavrov’s statements should be condemned.
Traditionally good relations with Russia and Israel
Israel is supporting Ukraine in the fight against Russian troops with helmets and bulletproof vests, among other things, but according to official information it has not recently delivered any weapons to the country. Israel has traditionally maintained good relations with both Ukraine and Russia. After the Russian invasion began on February 24, Prime Minister Naftali Bennett tried to mediate between Kyiv and Moscow.
Source: Stern
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