The Russian Foreign Ministry said on Monday that it summoned the newly designated Israeli Ambassador Simona Halperin over her statements made in an interview with the Kommersant. Halperin told the Russian newspaper that she “doesn’t really understand” why Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov “downplays the significance” of the Holocaust. She also slammed Russia’s reaction to Israel’s conflict with Hamas, saying that Moscow “does not support Israel’s fight against terrorism” and that it “rolls out the red carpet” for members of Hamas.
The Russian Foreign Ministry said Halperin’s comments are “unacceptable” and that they “distort Russian foreign policy approaches and historical realities.” It added that her statements are an “extremely unsuccessful start to a diplomatic mission, which should be aimed at developing bilateral relations in the interests of the peoples of the two countries.”