Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov: Hitler Had Jewish Blood

In the annals of sheer nuttiness, Sergei Lavrov’s recent remark about Hitler having Jewish blood, and his claim that the “biggest antisemites” have been “Jews themselves,” take some kind of cake. An interviewer for Italy’s Rete 4 (Channel 4) asked him about the Russian claim that “Nazis” were in charge of the Ukraine, given that President Zelensky was Jewish, and Lavrov replied:

“When they [Ukraine’s leaders] say ‘What sort of nazification is this if we are Jews’, well I may be wrong but I think that Hitler also had Jewish origins, so it means nothing,” Lavrov told Rete 4 channel, speaking through an Italian interpreter.

“For a long time now we’ve been hearing the wise Jewish people say that the biggest anti-Semites are the Jews themselves,” he added.

To understand what prompted Lavrov’s lunatic response, let’s go back to the beginning of the Ukraine-Russia war. It was on February 24 that President Vladimir Putin, in his address to the Russian people, described the “special military operation” – it’s not a “war,” you see, because it wasn’t called that by Putin – he had just launched in Ukraine as a selfless effort by Russia to rescue the Ukrainians from the “Nazis” who had taken over the country. No one has been able to find any trace of those Nazis in the Ukrainian government, though the Russian propagandists keep trying to convince the world that they are still running things in Ukraine. When the Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelensky, a real hero of our time, positively Churchillian in his rallying the Ukrainians, and a one-man multitude in his asking, cajoling, pleading, scolding the West for more weapons, was revealed to not only be Jewish, but to have had several family members, including both of his grandfathers, murdered by the Nazis, the Russian version of events looked even more preposterous. Then it turned out that Zelensky’s Chief of Staff, Andrey Yermak, is also Jewish and had relatives murdered at Babyn Yar. But the Russians cannot possibly change their story about protecting Ukraine from Nazis; “it’s my story and I’m sticking to it” says Putin, and his lapdog Lavrov, and all the other court spaniels at the top of the Russian food chain, in unison bark their agreement.

Now Lavrov has made his absurd remark about Hitler being part-Jewish, and Jews being the “worst antisemites.” Putin has not stepped into correct him. Lavrov has not apologized.

And Israel is furious.

A report on the grotesque Lavrovian contretemps is here: “Israel Blasts ‘Outrageous’ Russian Claim That Hitler Had ‘Jewish Blood,’” by Sharon Wrobel, Algemeiner, May 2, 2022:

Israel demanded an apology from Moscow after Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov publicly claimed that Nazi leader Adolf Hitler “had Jewish blood” and accused Jews of being some of the worst antisemites.

In an interview with an Italian television program, Lavrov on Sunday night was asked how Russia can justify its professed aim of “denazifying” Ukraine, given the Jewish faith of the country’s president, Volodymyr Zelensky.

“How can there be Nazism in Ukraine if he is a Jew? I may be mistaken but Adolf Hitler had Jewish blood, too,” Lavrov claimed. “This means absolutely nothing. The wise Jewish people say that the most ardent antisemites are usually Jews.”

The Israeli foreign ministry summoned Russia’s ambassador for an explanation, as Prime Minister Naftali Bennett denounced Lavrov’s words as “untrue.”…

“Untrue”? How about something a little stronger, Prime Minister? How about “a grotesque and intolerable lie”?

The Russian diplomat’s comments also drew outrage from European officials and Jewish community leaders, with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba accusing Lavrov of exposing “the deeply-rooted antisemitism of the Russian elites.”

“His heinous remarks (…) more broadly demonstrate that today’s Russia is full of hatred towards other nations,” Kuleba tweeted.

I’m not convinced that Lavrov’s remark means that “Russia is full of hatred toward other nations” or that Russian elites exhibit a “deeply-rooted antisemitism.” It only means that Putin and his cronies look even more ridiculous with their claim that “Nazis” have been running the Ukraine, now that we know that President Zelensky is Jewish, with relatives murdered by the Nazis. Since Putin had initially justified the “special military operation” as a campaign to save Ukraine from its “Nazis,” and then somehow had to account for Ukraine’s President, and the President’s Chief of Staff, being Jewish, it was natural for Lavrov to square that circle by claiming that Jews could be “the biggest antisemites,” not naming but alluding to Zelensky and other Ukrainians, both Jews and non-Jews, who were “Nazis” who needed to be removed from power by the Russian saviors of Ukraine. “The worst antisemites have been Jews” Lavrov declared, and then he doubled the dose: “I may be wrong, but Hitler was part-Jewish.”

Since Lavrov made those remarks, the entire Israeli political establishment has erupted in fury. Foreign Minister Lapid summoned the Russian envoy, and said “It is an unforgivable, scandalous statement, a terrible historical mistake, and we expect an apology.” Lavrov has not apologized. Nor has his puppet-master, Vladimir Putin, said a word. All that Lavrov has done is to make Russia appear even more the international laughingstock that it has been since the first Russian troops crossed the Ukrainian border.

Long ago, Russia’s great playwright, Alexander Griboedov, wrote the single play that earned him his reputation – Gore ot uma, or Woe From Wit. In it, one of the protagonists — Chatsky? Famusov? I can’t remember — exasperated by another character’s falsehoods, declares: “Vri, da znaj zhe meru,” which means “Lie, but know when to stop.”

That was good advice in 1823. And it remains good advice, Sergei Lavrov, for you to take today. Lie, but know when to stop.