Herzog urges Lavrov to apologize over ‘anti-Semitic lies’
JERUSALEM (AA) – Israeli President Isaac Herzog called on Russia’s foreign minister Wednesday to apologize for his “anti-Semitic lies” following the latter’s claim that Nazi leader Adolf Hitler “had Jewish blood.”
“The truth is I read them several times,” Herzog told Israel’s Haaretz newspaper, referring to Sergey Lavrov’s remarks.
“At first, I couldn’t believe that they had been uttered by a Russian foreign minister,” he added.
Lavrov’s remarks “made me angry and disgusted,” he said.
“During a week when we are remembering the Holocaust, of all weeks, Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov chooses to spread lies, terrible lies, which smell of antisemitism. I expect him to retract his words and apologize.”
On Monday, the Israeli Foreign Ministry summoned the Russian ambassador over Lavrov’s statement.
The ministry said Lavrov’s comments were “ghastly.”
In an interview with an Italian television channel Sunday, Lavrov said the fact that Ukraine’s president is Jewish does not contradict Moscow’s claims that it launched an attack to “denazify” the country.
“I believe that Hitler also had Jewish blood,” he went on to say.
Responding to the comments, Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid said on Twitter that Lavrov’s remarks are both “unforgivable and outrageous” as well as a “terrible historical error.”
“Jews did not murder themselves in the Holocaust. The lowest level of racism against Jews is to accuse Jews themselves of antisemitism,” Lapid added.
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