Moscow Slams Israeli Ambassador's Remarks Over Holocaust Remembrance Day in Russia
© Sputnik / Ekaterina Chesnokova
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MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Israeli Ambassador to Moscow Simona Halperin made a number of unacceptable and provocative statements about Moscow, the Russian Foreign Ministry said, referring to the Israeli diplomat's remarks about the alleged Russian side's attitude to the International Holocaust Remembrance Day.
In her interview with Russian newspaper Kommersant, published on Monday, Halperin said that she regretted that the International Holocaust Remembrance Day was not an official day in the state calendar of Russia, adding Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov was allegedly downplaying the Holocaust that the Jewish people endured. The Russian Foreign Ministry told Sputnik that the Israeli ambassador would be summoned to the ministry over the statements.
"In her interview published in the Kommersant newspaper on February 5, the recently arrived Israeli Ambassador to Russia Simona Halperin allowed herself a number of unacceptable and provocative statements about Russia," the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement, published on its website on Monday.
The Russian Foreign Ministry also pointed to the UN General Assembly resolution initiated by Moscow in 2005, which contributed to the establishment of the International Holocaust Remembrance Day on January 27.
"The date was not chosen by chance, on this day in 1945 the Red Army liberated the Nazi concentration camp Auschwitz-Birkenau (Auschwitz). These facts alone show the absurdity of Simona Halperin's statements," the Russian Foreign Ministry added.
Every year Russia holds the Holocaust Remembrance Week, with cultural, educational and memorial events throughout the country, the ministry added.
