Israel Slams Attack on Babi Yar Holocaust Memorial in Kyiv: Fails to Mention Russia

Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid condemned a Russian missile attack that on Tuesday struck the Babi Yar memorial site in the heart of Kyiv marking the place tens of thousands of Jews were massacred during the Holocaust, but made no mention of Russia was made.

“We condemn the strike on the Jewish cemetery next to the memorial for the Holocaust of the Jews in Kyiv and the Jewish people in Babyn Yar,” Lapid said about the site, which is essentially a mass grave containing some 34,000 Jews who were slaughtered there over two days by the Nazis.

“We call to respect the sacred site. We continue to monitor the events and express our sorrow at the loss of human life.”

The Russian missile attack which saw the Holocaust site damaged was apparently targeting a key television tower in Kyiv. Five people were killed and the state broadcasting stopped, but the tower remained standing.

“As we view images emerging from Ukraine showing innocent civilians fleeing from their endangered homes and pictures of the deadly Russian attack on the vicinity of the Babi Yar Holocaust memorial site, Yad Vashem voices its vehement condemnation,” the Israeli Holocaust museum said in a statement.

Lapid’s ministry added that Israel would help fix whatever damage was caused to the site.

“At the instruction of Foreign Minister Lapid, the ambassador to Kyiv is in contact with the managers of the site and, when it is possible, we will help fix the damage,” the Foreign Ministry said.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenksy took to Twitter to denounce the attack.

“To the world: what is the point of saying ‘never again’ for 80 years, if the world stays silent when a bomb drops on the same site of Babyn Yar?” Zelensky wrote. “At least 5 killed. History repeating.”

His chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, tweeted: “These villains are killing Holocaust victims for the second time.”

Meanwhile, Diaspora Affairs Minister Nachman Shai also failed to blame Russia directly for the attack, saying only he was “saddened by this unnecessary war, by injury to innocent civilians, and damage to civilian installations, including Jewish sites such as the important Babi Yar Holocaust memorial center.”

The Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial in Jerusalem harshly condemned what it said was a “deadly Russian attack.”

“We continue to follow with grave concern the outrageous acts of aggression being perpetrated against civilian targets in Ukraine,” the museum said in a statement.

“We call on the international community to take concerted measures to safeguard civilian lives as well as these historical sites because of their irreplaceable value for research, education and commemoration of the Holocaust. Rather than being subjected to blatant violence, sacred sites like Babi Yar must be protected,” it said, adding: “Of course, the security and wellbeing of civilians must be universally and absolutely respected.”

“This was done as part of the ideology of genocide perpetrated by the German Nazis and their collaborators. History must be remembered accurately and its moral lessons must be implemented truthfully by all,” Yad Vashem said.

Natan Sharansky, the chairman of the Babi Yar Holocaust Memorial Center and former head of the Jewish Agency, said in a statement: “[Russian President Vladimir] Putin seeking to distort and manipulate the Holocaust to justify an illegal invasion of a sovereign democratic country is utterly abhorrent. It is symbolic that he starts attacking Kyiv by bombing the site of Babi Yar, the biggest of Nazi massacres.”

Israel is one of few Western democracies that is an ally of both Russia and Ukraine and has been cautious about taking sides since Moscow’s invasion. Russia also has heavy military presence in Syria and controls its skies and as such, Jerusalem coordinates all military strikes on Iranian targets in Syria with Moscow.

In addition, both Ukraine and Russia have large Jewish communities and Israel sees itself as a protector of Jews in the Diaspora.