Topline
Israeli President Isaac Herzog criticized Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov for claiming that Hitler had Jewish blood, accusing him of engaging in antisemitism a day after the Kremlin doubled down on its diplomatic spat with Israel by accusing the country of supporting ‘neo-Nazis’ in Ukraine.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov ignited a diplomatic row with Israel earlier this week after … [+]
Key Facts
In an interview with Haaretz, Herzog said he couldn’t at first believe the remarks had actually been made by a Russian foreign minister, adding they made him “angry and disgusted.”
The Israeli president accused Lavrov of spreading “terrible lies, which smell of antisemitism” and said that he expected him to “retract his words and apologize.”
Despite this, Herzog said he doesn’t believe Lavrov’s remarks will harm bilateral relations between Israel and Russia but warned that they could “cast a cloud over them” if he fails to correct the remarks.
In the interview, the Israeli president made no comment about the Russian foreign ministry’s accusation of Israel of supporting “neo-Nazis” in Ukraine.
No other Israeli officials have yet publicly responded to Moscow’s latest retort, however, Foreign Minister Yair Lapid sought an apology from his Russian counterpart for his remarks on Monday.
Key Background
In an interview broadcast on Italian television earlier this week, Lavrov was asked how Russia can claim it was “de-nazifying” Ukraine when Zelensky himself is Jewish. The top Russian diplomat retorted that it did not matter if Zelensky was Jewish as it did not negate the presence of “Nazi elements in Ukraine.” He then claimed that Hitler also had Jewish origins and added that “some of the worst anti-Semites are Jews.” Lavrov’s remarks triggered an immediate diplomatic firestorm from Israel, which has so far attempted to avoid directly criticizing Russia for its decision to invade Ukraine.
What To Watch For
Russia’s role as a power broker in neighboring Syria along with its ties to Iran have meant that Israel has avoided joining the West in criticizing Russia for its invasion. While Israel has expressed support for Ukraine, prior to this week Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and his government have largely avoided antagonizing Moscow by refusing to send military aid to Ukraine. Some reports indicate this may change soon with Israeli officials discussing the supply of military aid to Ukraine. According to Haaretz, the military aid is not expected to include any offensive or advanced defensive weapons like the Iron Dome air defense system, which Ukraine has explicitly requested to defend its cities against Russian missile attacks.
Further Reading
Israeli President: ‘Lavrov Is Spreading Antisemitic Lies. I Expect Him to Apologize’ (Haaretz)
Israel Slams Russia’s Lavrov For ‘Unforgivable’ Claim Hitler Was Partially Jewish (Forbes)
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/siladityaray/2022/05/04/israeli-president-condemns-russias-foreign-minister-for-spreading-anti-semitic-lies-seeks-apology/