Eajc.org asked Vyacheslav Likhachev, an expert on anti-Semitism in FSU, to comment the anti-Semitic hate speech by the official speaker of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Maria Zakharova:

If the anti-Semitic statements were made by the official speaker of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs during the popular television show – such phenomena always must be understood in a broad context.

First of all, such statements reflect the speaker's personal anti-Semitism, and here is nothing to comment – in the civilized world such events are unacceptable, but it is Russia.

Second, the general logic of the speech illustrates a well-known phenomenon – in underdeveloped countries like Russia or Venesuella, anti-Semitism is closely linked to the anti-Americanism, especially during economic crises. In fairness, anti-Semitism is not important for the Russian political elite. It is not an integral part of the state ideology. But anti-Americanism – is. Anti-Semitism is used by the Kremlin in a rather cynical way as a tool only, in this very case - against the American elite, previously, for example, against the Ukrainian one.

By the way, this statement means, that for Kremlin there is no 'pro-Russian' President of USA; not because of his intention or views, but because of Russian official ideology, which contains anti-Americanism as an important and a constant element. Obama seemed to be very 'pro-Russian' in the very beginning of his first presidency term – but because of paranoiac character of the elite's political mentality Kremlin just don't understand, who it is possible, to have a good and constructive relations with White House.

Finally, Zakharova's statements illustrate the level of Russian diplomacy. Minister of Foreign Affairs of Russia might be said during the press conference something like 'fucking idiots'. Why the official speaker of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs couldn't use anti-Semitic hate speeches during TV-show?