Russian diplomat states Israel has forgotten Holocaust lessons

(MENAFN) Russia’s deputy permanent UN representative, Dmitry Polyansky, has accused Israel of disregarding Holocaust lessons and violating international law with its plan to seize Gaza City. Speaking at an emergency UN Security Council session on Sunday, he warned that the move would worsen Gaza’s humanitarian crisis, undermine a two-state solution, and effectively formalize an occupation regime.

Polyansky condemned the Netanyahu government’s decision, accusing Israeli officials of hypocrisy over the plight of hostages taken by Hamas during the October 2023 attacks, in which around 1,200 Israelis were killed and 251 abducted. About 50 hostages remain unaccounted for, with only around 20 believed alive.

He criticized Israel for placing Palestinians “in ghettos” and seeking their destruction, suggesting the Jewish state has forgotten the lessons of its own history. Netanyahu’s security cabinet approved the plan Friday, aiming to disarm Hamas, return hostages, and demilitarize Gaza, with eventual governance by unspecified “Arab forces.” The decision has sparked global condemnation, excluding the US, and one of the largest anti-war protests in Israel, while over 60,000 Palestinians have died in the ongoing conflict, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.

MENAFN13082025000045015687ID1109921329