‘New Low’ for Antisemitism: Israel Slams Russia over Claim Hitler Had Jewish Blood

Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid on Monday lambasted his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov for saying Nazi leader Adolf Hitler “had Jewish blood” and Jews are among the worst antisemites, saying his remarks were “unforgivable.”

In an interview with Italian television, Lavrov was asked about his country’s “denazification” claim when Ukrainian 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,” Lavrov answered, adding that “some of the worst antisemites are Jews.”

Lapid lashed out on Monday: “This is an unforgivable and scandalous comment, a terrible historical error and we expect an apology.”

“The Jews did not murder themselves in the Holocaust. The lowest form of racism against Jews is blaming the Jews themselves for antisemitism.”

Conspiracy theories that the Nazi fuhrer had Jewish ancestry have been debunked by historians.

Lapid said Russian Ambassador Anatoly Viktorov would be summoned for “a not-so easy talk.”

“A new low for antisemitism was reached this morning,” tweeted Deputy Foreign Minister Idan Roll according to a translation by The Times of Israel.

Roll added that Lavrov’s remarks were part of a “disturbing trend of disparaging the Holocaust” by Russian leaders since its invasion of Ukraine.

Communications Minister Yoaz Hendel slammed Lavrov’s comments as “delusional” that justified the “terrible things” Russia is doing in Ukraine.

“For historical accuracy: Hitler did not have Jewish blood and what is happening in Ukraine is outrageous,” he told Army Radio.

“Denigrating the Holocaust is something that I’m not willing to accept and nothing should be compared to the acts of the Nazis,” he said.

Diaspora Affairs Minister Nachman Shai called on Lavrov to retract the comment.

“Hitler did not have ‘Jewish Blood’ and repeating this abhorrent falsehood puts blame for the worst antisemitic crime in history on Jews,” he said in a statement. “Blaming Jews for crimes against Jews is intrinsically antisemitic.”

Public Security Minister Omer Barlev said Lavrov’s remarks “harm the memory” of victims of the Nazis. “They also create a dangerous false equivalence that is based on antisemitic lies, in a way that encourages the spread of a false narrative and which may lead to a wave of antisemitism toward Jews across the world, particularly in Russia,” he said according to The Times of Israel.

Deputy Public Security Minister Yair Golan said that Lavrov’s “shocking” words reflected the true nature of the Russian government: “a violent regime that doesn’t hesitate to wipe out its rivals at home, invade a foreign country and falsely accuse it of renewing Nazism.”

Despite Israel’s ambivalent stance regarding the Russia-Ukraine war – the result of being a rare ally of both countries — its language has taken a stronger tone in recent weeks. Lapid last week called out Russia for war crimes.