Ian Black

In yet another unanticipated consequence of Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, his foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, generated worldwide controversy last week by saying that Adolf Hitler had “Jewish blood.”

It was almost unbelievable that Lavrov, a highly experienced diplomat who has been Russia’s worldwide representative for 18 years, should make a remark so insensitive and ignorant – and on such a toxic and divisive issue. And before he was promoted he served as Russia’s permanent representative to the United Nations for a decade.

What Lavrov said in an interview with Italian TV on May 1 was really shocking. Asked to explain Russia’s motives he focused on “deNazifying” the Kyiv government. When the presenter replied that the Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky was Jewish himself, Lavrov responded: “I believe Hitler also had Jewish blood”. It was neither a slip of the tongue or a mistake.

The identity of one of Hitler's grandfathers is not known but there has been speculation, never backed up by any evidence, that he might have been a Jew.

Evoking Russia’s deeply-rooted narrative of suffering and heroism in World War II, Putin has portrayed the war in Ukraine as a struggle against Nazis, even though the country has a democratically-elected government and a Jewish president, whose relatives were killed in the Holocaust.

It was a classic example of historical error and delusional conspiracy theories that debased the horrors of the Holocaust and turned victims into perpetrators. But Russia’s foreign ministry doubled down after Lavrov spoke. For Moscow, the rebukes "explained to a large extent why the current Israeli government supports the neo-Nazi regime in Kyiv."

Government officials in Canada, the US, Italy and Germany were quick to condemn the comments. Israel summoned Russia's ambassador to demand an apology.

The Kremlin says it launched its "special military operation" on February 24 to demilitarize and "denazify" Ukraine, claiming its aim is to disarm and defeat nationalists within the country. Kyiv and its western allies reject that as a false pretext for the invasion.

But it was a very revealing incident in terms of Putin’s rationale behind his widely-condemned and world-changing event. Putin is pragmatic in maintaining support despite adamant western opposition to his invasion. The Russian president doesn’t want Israel to abandon its near-neutrality in the Ukraine war. In the big picture the unwieldy coalition government of Prime Minister Naftali Bennett wants to avoid taking sides.

On March 20 Zelensky addressed Israel’s parliament on Zoom, invoked the Holocaust and repeatedly used the term “final solution.” Calling for Israel to back his country against Russia, he emphasised Ukrainians who saved Jews in the Holocaust but ignored those who co-operated with Hitler. He noted that February 24 was the date on which the Nazi party was founded in Germany in 1920.

The reason for his scathing speech was that Israel has refused to provide weapons to Ukraine and has not chosen to impose strong sanctions. It has echoed China (along with Turkey, Egypt and Jordan) by offering to mediate between Moscow and Kyiv.

Israel has been seeking to avoid antagonizing Russia, because of its presence in Syria, where Israel regularly carries out military action against Iran-linked groups and is keen to preserve its “deconfliction mechanism” with the Kremlin.

Lavrov’s comments provoked understandable outrage in Israel and in Jewish communities across the world. Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid, who has criticized Russia more than Bennett, called Lavrov’s statement “unforgivable and scandalous and a horrible historical error” adding: “The Jews did not murder themselves in the Holocaust.”

Putin obviously wants to downplay any criticism from Israel or Jewish organizations, but it is probably too late. He waited four days after the Lavrov interview to apologize, and in the meantime the Russian Foreign Ministry piled on with accusations that Israel “supports the neo-Nazi regime in Kyiv” and that “Israeli mercenaries” are serving in the Azov Battalion in the besieged southern port city of Mariupol.

Bennett and Putin talked by phone last Thursday, after which an Israeli statement said Putin had apologised. “The Prime Minister accepted President Putin’s apology for Lavrov’s remarks and thanked him for clarifying the President’s attitude towards the Jewish people and the memory of the Holocaust,” Bennett’s office said.

But the Russian statement after the call made no mention of an apology. Instead, it said they emphasised the importance of marking the Nazi defeat in World War II, which Russia celebrates on May 9. The timing of Lavrov’s remarks were not great either since Israel marked its annual Holocaust memorial last week in memory of the six million Jews killed by the Nazis and their collaborators.

“When Putin and his loyal servant Lavrov need to justify the crusade against a Ukrainian president who happens to be a Jew, any comparison, metaphor, hyperbole or blood libel is good enough,” wrote a former Israeli MP and Russian speaker Ksenia Svetlova. “Nothing – from facts to basic human norms – are sacred: in this Putinverse, Ukrainians are killing fellow Ukrainians in Mariupol, Bucha and Irpin - because they are Nazis”.

Maybe, sometime soon, Putin will also say sorry for his evil decision to invade Ukraine?

BY: IAN BLACK

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BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, held its Annual General Meeting (AGM) at the company’s headquarters in the Seef District.
During the meeting, shareholders approved all items listed on the agenda, including the ratification of the minutes of the previous AGM held on 26 March 2024. The session reviewed and approved the Board’s Annual Report on the company’s activities and financial performance for the fiscal year ended 31 December 2024, and the shareholders expressed their satisfaction with the company’s operational and financial results during the reporting period.
The meeting also reviewed the Independent External Auditor’s Report on the company’s consolidated financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2024. Subsequently, the shareholders approved the audited financial statements for the fiscal year. Based on the Board’s recommendation, the shareholders approved the distribution of a cash dividend equivalent to 10% of the paid-up share capital.
Furthermore, the shareholders endorsed the allocation of a total amount of BD 172,500 as remuneration to the members of the Board for the year ended 31 December 2024, subject to prior clearance by related authorities.
The extension of the current composition of the Board was approved, which includes ten members and one CBB observer, for a further six-month term, expiring in September 2025, pending no objection from the CBB.
The meeting reviewed and approved the Corporate Governance Report for 2024, which affirmed the company’s full compliance with the corporate governance directives issued by the CBB and other applicable regulatory frameworks. The AGM absolved the Board Members of liability for any of their actions during the year ending on 31st December 2024, in accordance with the Commercial Companies Law.
In alignment with regulatory requirements, the session approved the reappointment of Ernst & Young (EY) as the company’s External Auditors for the fiscal year 2025, covering both the parent company and its subsidiaries—Sinnad and Bahrain FinTech Bay. The Board was authorised to determine the external auditors’ professional fees, subject to approval from the CBB, and the meeting concluded with a discussion of any additional issues as per Article (207) of the Commercial Companies Law.
Speaking on the company’s performance, Mr. Mohamed Al Bastaki, Chairman BENEFIT , stated: “In terms of the financial results for 2024, I am pleased to say that the year gone by has also been proved to be a success in delivering tangible results. Growth rate for 2024 was 19 per cent. Revenue for the year was BD 17 M (US$ 45.3 Million) and net profit was 2 Million ($ 5.3 Million).

Mr. Al Bastaki also announced that the Board had formally adopted a new three-year strategic roadmap to commence in 2025. The strategy encompasses a phased international expansion, optimisation of internal operations, enhanced revenue diversification, long-term sustainability initiatives, and the advancement of innovation and digital transformation initiatives across all service lines.
“I extend my sincere appreciation to the CBB for its continued support of BENEFIT and its pivotal role in fostering a stable and progressive regulatory environment for the Kingdom’s banking and financial sector—an environment that has significantly reinforced Bahrain’s standing as a leading financial hub in the region,” said Mr. Al Bastaki. “I would also like to thank our partner banks and valued customers for their trust, and our shareholders for their ongoing encouragement. The achievements of 2024 set a strong precedent, and I am confident they will serve as a foundation for yet another successful and impactful year ahead.”
Chief Executive of BENEFIT; Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi commented, “The year 2024 represented another pivotal chapter in BENEFIT ’s evolution. We achieved substantial progress in advancing our digital strategy across multiple sectors, while reinforcing our long-term commitment to the development of Bahrain’s financial services and payments landscape. Throughout the year, we remained firmly aligned with our objective of delivering measurable value to our shareholders, strategic partners, and customers. At the same time, we continued to play an active role in enabling Bahrain’s digital economy by introducing innovative solutions and service enhancements that directly address market needs and future opportunities.”
Mr. AlJanahi affirmed that BENEFIT has successfully developed a robust and well-integrated payment network that connects individuals and businesses across Bahrain, accelerating the adoption of emerging technologies in the banking and financial services sector and reinforcing Bahrain’s position as a growing fintech hub, and added, “Our achievements of the past year reflect a long-term vision to establish a resilient electronic payment infrastructure that supports the Kingdom’s digital economy. Key developments in 2024 included the implementation of central authentication for open banking via BENEFIT Pay”
Mr. AlJanahi concluded by thanking the Board for its strategic direction, the company’s staff for their continued dedication, and the Central Bank of Bahrain, member banks, and shareholders for their valuable partnership and confidence in the company’s long-term vision.