Israel demands apology from Russian official who claimed Hitler had ‘Jewish origins’

• Israel condemned a Russian official’s “unforgivable” comments that Adolf Hitler himself had Jewish origins.
• Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov made the remarks after he was questioned about Russia’s claim to denazify a country with a Jewish leader.
• Israeli officials condemned the remarks as the “lowest level of racism” that blamed Holocaust victims for their own genocide.

Israel’s arguably neutral stance regarding the Russia-Ukraine war may change following Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov’s claims that Adolf Hitler himself had Jewish roots. Israeli officials have since condemned his remarks as “unforgivable and outrageous” and summoned him for an apology.

Lavrov made the statement during an interview with Italian television, where he was questioned about Russia’s claim of “de-Nazifying” Ukraine, given that President Volodymyr Zelenskyy himself is Jewish.

Lavrov stated in Russian, “So when they say ‘How can Nazification exist if we’re Jewish?’ In my opinion, Hitler also had Jewish origins, so it doesn’t mean absolutely anything. For some time we have heard from the Jewish people that the biggest antisemites were Jewish.”

There has been little to no information about Hitler’s ancestors but there has been previous speculation, unbacked by evidence, that he might have Jewish origins.

His remarks were condemned by Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid, whose grandfather died in the Holocaust.

Lapid declared, “Foreign Minister Lavrov’s remarks are both an unforgivable and outrageous statement, as well as a terrible historical error. The lowest level of racism against Jews is to accuse Jews themselves of anti-Semitism.”

“Such lies are intended to accuse the Jews themselves of the most horrific crimes in history that were committed against them,” added Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett.

Lavrov’s statement was seen as “an insult and a severe blow to the victims of the real Nazism” by Dani Dayan, chairman of Yad Vashem, Israel’s memorial to the six million Jews killed in the Holocaust.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba added that Lavrov proved that “today’s Russia is full of hatred towards other nations.”

He wrote on Twitter, “FM Lavrov could not help hiding the deeply-rooted antisemitism of the Russian elites. His heinous remarks are offensive to President @ZelenskyyUa, Ukraine, Israel, and the Jewish people.”

Russia has prided itself on helping defeat Nazi Germany in World War II, after which it has seen itself as a savior against evil forces. It continued this rhetoric when justifying its attacks against Ukraine.

While Russia claimed it was de-Nazifying Ukraine, Zelenskyy compared Russia’s war to the actions of Nazi Germany, and accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of trying to wipe out Ukraine.

Source: FOX News