Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has made a controversial claim stating that Hitler was Jewish. The minister's comment has sparked outrage in Israel with the country demanding Moscow issue an immediate apology over the 'scandalous' remark.
During his latest interview Lavrov claimed that some of the worst anti-Semites are Jews.
Hitler Had Jewish blood
He appeared on the Italian television news program Zona Bianca and claimed that Hitler had Jewish blood.
Host Giuseppe Brindisi asked him how Ukraine could be "de-Nazified" when its president, Volodymyr Zelensky, is Jewish. "So what if Zelensky is Jewish. The fact does not negate the Nazi elements in Ukraine. I believe that Hitler also had Jewish blood and in fact, some of the worst antisemites are Jews," said Lavrov, according to The Daily Beast.
The comment drew criticism from Israel with many asking Lavrov to apologize for the remark.
Israel Summoned Russia's Ambassador
Russia's Ambassador to Israel was summoned by the Israeli Foreign Ministry. Israel believes that Lavrov's remarks are unforgivable and scandalous. They stressed that Lavrov made a terrible historical mistake and demanded an apology.
Lavrov's comment is seen as he was trying to justify Russia's claim Ukraine is run by Nazis despite the fact that Zelensky is Jewish.
During Hitler's regime in Germany over six million Jews were murdered in the Holocaust in World War II by Nazi Germany. Israel sees Holocaust as the most brutal activity against Jews.
Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett aggressively called it a lie and stated that the comment was made to blame the for the most terrifying atrocities that happened against them in history.
"Such lies are meant to blame the Jews themselves for the most terrible crimes in history and thus free the oppressors of the Jews from their responsibility. No war today is the Holocaust or is like the Holocaust."
Meanwhile, the head of Israel's Yad Vashem Holocaust museum Dani Dayan, underlined that Lavrov's comments are delusional, false and dangerous pointing out that conspiracy theorists have long pushed the lie that Hitler was, in fact, Jewish, but scholars have debunked the notion.
