Russian President Vladimir Putin has apologised over his foreign minister Sergei Lavrov's claim that Adolf Hitler had 'Jewish blood', Israeli PM's office said on Thursday.
"The Prime Minister accepted President Putin's apology for Lavrov's remarks and thanked him for clarifying his attitude towards the Jewish people and the memory of the Holocaust," Israeli PM's office said in a statement.
Israeli PM's office claimed that President Putin made the apology on a call with PM Naftali Bennett. However Russia's summary of the Bennett-Putin call, mentioned that the leaders discussed the 'horrific memory' of Jewish holocaust but issued no claim of apology.
Sergei Lavrov on Sunday, gave an interview to Italian TV, where he was asked how Russia can claim that it is fighting to 'de-Nazify' Ukraine, when the Ukrainian President is a Jew himself. "I could be wrong, but Hitler also had Jewish blood. [That Zelensky is Jewish] means absolutely nothing. Wise Jewish people say that the most ardent anti-Semites are usually Jews," Lavrov replied.
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These comments of Lavrov sparked outrage in Israel. Israeli PM Bennett called these comments as lies and further added that with such remarks Lavrov accused Jews themselves for the holocaust. Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid, called Lavrov's comments an unforgivable and outrageous statement."
Israel has tried to abstain itself from taking any side in the ongoing Ukraine-Russia conflict. However, it has tried to mediate between Russia and Ukraine.
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According to the Israeli media, Israel was considering uplifting its military and civilian assistance to Ukraine.
