JAI

Sergei Lavrov made the comments to try to justify Russia’s portrayal of Ukraine as “Nazi” despite the fact that its president is Jewish.

Israel’s foreign ministry summoned Russia’s ambassador for “clarification” and demanded an apology.

Nazi Germany murdered six million Jews in the Holocaust in World War Two.

Mr Lavrov made the remarks in an interview on Italian TV programme Zona Bianca on Sunday, days after Israel marked Holocaust Remembrance Day, one of the most solemn occasions in the Israeli calendar.

When asked how Russia can claim that it is fighting to “de-Nazify” Ukraine when President Volodymyr Zelensky is himself Jewish, Mr Lavrov said: “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.”

Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said: “Such lies are meant to blame the Jews themselves for the most terrible crimes in history and thus free the oppressors of the Jews from their responsibility.

Israeli foreign minister Yair Lapid reacted angrily, calling Mr Lavrov’s words “unforgivable”.

Mr Lavrov was also condemned by the head of Israel’s Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial, Dani Dayan.

“Most of his remarks are absurd, delusional, dangerous and deserving of any condemnation,” he tweeted. “Lavrov deals with the reversal of the Holocaust: turning the victims into criminals, based on the promotion of a completely unfounded claim that Hitler was of Jewish descent.”

But, he says, the Israeli government has faced some criticism for not taking a tough enough line with President Vladimir Putin. Mr Lavrov’s comments will test Israel’s relations with Russia and while offensive to many, they reflect a common narrative amongst the Kremlin’s supporters, our correspondent adds.

Ukraine’s foreign minister rebuked Mr Lavrov, saying his remarks were evidence of Russia’s own “deep-rooted anti-Semitism”.

There have for decades been unproven claims that Hitler’s unidentified paternal grandfather was Jewish, fuelled by an assertion by Hitler’s lawyer Hans Frank.

In his memoir, published in 1953, Frank said he had been instructed by Hitler to investigate rumours that he had Jewish ancestry. Frank said he uncovered evidence that Hitler’s grandfather was indeed Jewish – though the claim, which has gained ground among conspiracy theorists, has been treated with scepticism by mainstream historians.