WhatsappFrom the beginning of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Putin claimed one of the objectives was to denazify the country. This of course was laughed off in the West, but those of us who have been to Ukraine or do just a bit of research know that the claims are real, at least in select parts of the country.
The problem with the Putin narrative is not in applying it to the Ukraine, but rather where his Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has now taken it. By comparing Zelensky to Hitler, it waters down the impact of the Holocaust. Lavrov went onto to say that even “Hitler had Jewish blood.”
Israel was quick to slam Lavrov’s remarks as antisemitic, bringing the two countrys in direct verbal conflict. Besides this latest flare up, Israel has already promised defensive gear to Ukraine, riling Russia.
Russia has a sizable force in Syria, close to Israel’s Northern border and has flexed its muscles ever since the Bennett government took over, in ways that appear to be an attempt to block Israel’s attacks on Iranian positions in Syria.
Holocaust comparisons have always been a bizarre part of modern geopolitical maneuvering. The fact is, the West has engaged in this sort of game as well. From the beginning of the war it has compared Putin to Hitler, but Israel never saw the need to admonish Western leaders for this sort of behavior and rhetoric.
The challenge of Lavrov’s comments are not only problematic because of their connection to the Holocaust, but rather they highlight what appears to be a coming clash between Israel and Russia.
