Israel Ambassador to Ukraine Mikhail Brodsky said that Ukrainian nationalist Stepan Bandera can not be recognized as a hero, and accused him of complicity with the Nazis, NEWSru.co.il reported.
At the same time, the diplomat urged not to link support for Ukraine's territorial integrity with issues of Ukrainian-Jewish history.
"The current statement of the embassy is no different in principle from the position that was voiced a year ago and two years ago. This is the principled position of the State of Israel - not mine or the embassy's. And when there are events on a national scale, we consider it necessary to voice it," said Brodsky.
He noted that Israel considers Bandera an accomplice of the Nazis, an opinion "backed up by research by the Yad Vashem Center and other well-known historians."
"We believe that such people should not become heroes. But I want to emphasize: this is the point of view of Israel and the Jewish people. We don't impose it on anyone, but we think it's necessary to voice it because this is a matter of principle for us," the ambassador said.
