One day after inflammatory remarks by Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, the Foreign Ministry on Wednesday summoned Belarusian Ambassador Yuri Yaroshevich for a formal reprimand.
Foreign Ministry Director General Eden Bar Tal rejected comparisons between the atrocities of the Holocaust and the war against terrorism made during the meeting. He also condemned what he called vile conspiracy theories about a “Jewish lobby” and said such language is reprehensible and should have no place in today's world.
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Alexander Lukashenko sharply criticized Israel, suggesting that the destruction in the Gaza Strip has led some to question Holocaust memory
(Photo: AFP)
Bar Tal’s summons came in response to Lukashenko’s comments, in which the Belarusian leader accused a “Jewish lobby” of drawing the United States into a war with Iran and preventing a Russian victory in Ukraine.
During a televised interview with the Saudi network Al Arabiya, Lukashenko sharply criticized Israel, suggesting that the destruction in the Gaza Strip has led some to question Holocaust memory. “Many people have begun to look at history and ask: ‘What Holocaust are they talking about? What possible Holocaust, of which the Israelis speak, [could justify] the killing of so many people, above all women and children?’ They have wiped everything off the face of the earth there,” he said.
He also mocked plans for postwar reconstruction in Gaza, saying, “And now they speak of building some kind of resort on the bones of the dead.” He warned that Israel should “be more careful,” adding that continued fighting could lead to “unpredictable consequences.” He said Israel had lost its standing in the international arena due to the war in Gaza and was fully dependent on the United States for its security. “Israel have already earned themselves such a reputation in the international community by bombing Gaza,” he said.
Lukashenko also emphasized what he described as Israel’s “complete dependence” on the United States. Referring to reported tensions between U.S. President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, he said that when Trump reprimanded Netanyahu, Israel was forced to change its behavior. “Donald Trump said plainly that if Netanyahu did not listen to him, Israel would be left to fend for itself,” he said. He added that without American missile supplies, Israel’s air defense systems would not be able to withstand a significant Iranian threat.
The Belarusian president further accused Israel and the United States of strengthening Iran’s government. He said the two countries “united Iranian society, which was quite fragmented before,” thereby giving Iran a strategic advantage. He also claimed that Israel dragged the United States into confrontation with Iran, citing the influence of the “Israeli lobby” in the United States, which he said holds significant sway over American politics.
Lukashenko also linked Israel to the war in Ukraine. He said attempts to reach a Russia-Ukraine agreement in 2022 were undermined in part by Israeli actors and the “Jewish lobby.” Referring to the withdrawal of Russian forces from the Kyiv area at the start of the war, he claimed Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed to the move after receiving assurances that the Ukrainian side was prepared to move toward a peace settlement.