MOSCOW, May 4. /TASS/. The Federation of Jewish Communities of Russia has called to refrain from mentioning nationalities, warning that this could hurt interethnic relations, Rabbi Alexander Boroda, the president of the organization, said in a statement on Wednesday following recent remarks by Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.
"In light of the situation surrounding the news flow following Mr. Lavrov’s remarks on Hitler’s Jewish origins," the Federation has called to refrain from mentioning "the ethnic origins of opponents" during discussions or referring to the "history of World War II, which should be treated with due awe and piety, as those events are still reverberating among nations and remain an unhealing wound." "Such ‘nationality markers’ are an explosive issue and could escalate interethnic relations both internationally and across this country," Boroda stressed.
"Even if not meant to hurt anyone, such remarks can become the most powerful catalyst for further damage. The Jewish community will under no circumstances betray the sacred memory of the Holocaust, nor will it forget those responsible for the deaths of millions of innocent victims or the heroes who defeated the death machine," the statement published by the Federation’s press service reads.
During a live interview with Italy’s Rete 4 television channel on Sunday, Lavrov reiterated Russia’s fundamental positions on the situation in Ukraine. He also commented on statements by Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky, who said Nazification cannot exist in his country since its leader is Jewish. The Russian top diplomat said he could be wrong, but that Hitler "had Jewish blood," too.
His remarks have reverberated in a number of countries. Russian Chief Rabbi Berl Lazar has suggested the foreign minister admitted that he was mistaken, which could help settle the incident.