Russia's Chief Rabbi Berl Lazar is shocked by Russian Minister Sergey Lavrov's statements that "Jews are the most ardent anti-Semites" and called on him to publicly apologize for these words.
Lazar's comment was shared by the Jewish Telegraphic Association, according to Ukrainska Pravda.
"I don't consider myself authorized to give advice to the head of Russian diplomacy, but it would be nice if he apologized to the Jews and just admitted his mistake.
I think after such an incident could be considered eliminated and the page turned."
The rabbi added that he does not share the opinion about identifying the actions of the Russian authorities in Ukraine with the actions of the Soviet Army during World War II.
He explained that the "neo-Nazism" allegations by the Russian authorities detract from the feat and heroism of those Soviet soldiers who liberated the Auschwitz concentration camp and set up the red "banner of victory" over the Reichstag in Berlin.
Note that Lazarus is considered close to Russian President Vladimir Putin. He heads the Federation of Jewish communities of Russia, an association associated with the direction of Lubavitcher Hasidism.
Jonathan Binyamin Markovich, Chief Rabbi of Kyiv, harshly criticized Lavrov's words. In the TSN program, he said the following:
"Listening to this sot of nonsense is disgusting. Today, someone in Russia is trying to inflame the topic of anti-Semitism. There is no anti-Semitism in Ukraine. Our president is far from anti-Semitism, and to blame him for this is a lie, it is a horror. The Israeli government must respond harshly to Lavrov's statements. Such words, such ideas, cannot be allowed to exist at all. Such phrases can be used by unintelligent people. This should be condemned so that no one takes advantage of it.
Previously, Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov recalled the Jewish roots of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and said that "Hitler also had Jewish blood."
The Office of the President of Ukraine called the statement of the head of Russian diplomacy cave anti-Semitism.
Israel reacted sharply to such a statement, accusing Lavrov of racism.