Lavrov made the remarks during an interview on Italian television, in which he claimed that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s Jewishness did not undermine Russia’s claims that its invasion of Ukraine was intended to “de-zoning” the country. “This is an unforgivable and scandalous comment, a terrible historical mistake and we look forward to an apology,” Lapid said. “Jews did not commit suicide in the Holocaust. “The lowest form of racism against Jews is to accuse the Jews themselves of anti-Semitism.” Persistent conspiracy theories that Nazi leader Adolf Hitler had a Jewish background that may have incited his anti-Semitism and the murder of six million Jews have repeatedly been debunked by historians. Get the Times of Israel Daily E-mail and never miss our top stories By registering, you agree to the terms Lapid said Russian Ambassador Anatoly Viktorov would be summoned for “a not-so-easy discussion.” According to the Foreign Ministry, Viktorov has been summoned for “clarification talks”. “A new low on anti-Semitism was reached this morning,” Deputy Foreign Minister Idan Roll wrote on Twitter, saying Lavrov’s statements were part of a “worrying trend of Holocaust discrediting” by Russian leaders amid the invasion of Ukraine. . Russian Ambassador to Israel Anatoly Viktorov speaks to the media at the Russian Consulate in Tel Aviv on March 3, 2022. (Avshalom Sassoni / Flash90) The Foreign Ministry’s response came after several other members of the Israeli government condemned the remark. Communications Minister Yoaz Hendel called Lavrov’s comments “delusional” and said they were intended to justify Russia’s “terrible things” in Ukraine. “Historically, Hitler did not have Jewish blood and what is happening in Ukraine is outrageous,” he told Army Radio. Handel noted that Israel’s National Holocaust Remembrance Day was last week. “Discrediting the Holocaust is something I am not prepared to accept and nothing should compare to the actions of the Nazis,” he said. Diaspora Minister Nachman Shai called on Lavrov to “immediately” withdraw the comment. “Hitler had no ‘Jewish blood’ and the repetition of this heinous lie blames the Jews for the worst anti-Semitic crime in history,” he said in a statement. “To accuse Jews of crimes against Jews is inherently anti-Semitic.” Prime Minister Naftali Bennett (L), President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky (C) and Russian President Vladimir Putin. (Combined photo: AFP) Israel has avoided aligning too closely with either side since Russian troops invaded Ukraine on February 24. It is one of the few countries that has relatively warm relations with both Ukraine, a homosexual Western democracy, and Russia. However, the rhetoric coming from Jerusalem changed after reports of widespread killings of civilians by the Russians, with Lapid explicitly accusing Russia of war crimes last month. Moscow recently publicly criticized Jerusalem for its decision to supply defense equipment to Kyiv and the Israeli ambassador to Ukraine’s proposal to rename the streets in the Ukrainian capital for those who saved Jews during the Holocaust. Public Security Minister Omer Barlev said Lavrov’s comments “damage the memory” of those killed by the Nazis. “They also create a dangerous false equivalence based on anti-Semitic lies, in a way that encourages the spread of a false narrative and that can lead to a wave of anti-Semitism towards Jews around the world, especially in Russia.” Deputy Public Security Minister Yair Golan also denounced Lavrov’s remark. “A shocking, anti-Semitic saying that is completely false. “It reflects what the Russian government really is: a violent government that does not hesitate to wipe out its opponents at home, invade a foreign country and falsely accuse it of renewing Nazism,” Golan told state radio Kan. Lavrov’s comments also denounced the Yad Vashem Museum of the Holocaust in Israel on Sunday afternoon as “false, delusional and dangerous and worthy of condemnation.” The Holocaust memorial and other groups representing survivors have previously condemned Russia’s claim that Ukraine should be “disenfranchised,” saying “it is not based on facts, it distorts and demeans the Holocaust and we deplore it.” In the interview, Lavrov also accused the United States of torpedoing peace talks between Moscow and Kiev, and accused the Western media of distorting coverage of the war and painting “distorted views of me.” However, he said Zelensky still had the power to end the war if he “stopped giving criminal orders to his Nazi forces”. Lavrov’s comments came after Zelensky’s meeting with US Parliament Speaker Nancy Pelosi in Kyiv, and described the meeting as a strong message of support at a difficult time. The Ukrainian president later said that the meeting with Pelosi included discussions on defense supplies to Ukraine, financial support and sanctions against Russia. The services contributed to this report. We tell a critical story Israel is now a much more important player on the world stage than its size suggests. As a Diplomatic Correspondent for the Times of Israel, I am well aware that Israel’s security, strategy and national interests are always under scrutiny and have serious implications. It takes balance, determination and knowledge to accurately convey the history of Israel, and I come to work every day with the goal of doing it to the fullest. Financial support from readers like you allows me to travel to watch the war (I just returned from reporting on Ukraine) and sign historic agreements. And it enables the Times of Israel to remain the place where readers around the world turn for accurate news about Israel’s relationship with the world. 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