Israel Suddenly Angry at South Korean President Over Palestine

The government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has suddenly expressed anger towards South Korean President Lee Jae-myung. This occurred after Lee shared a video on social media from 2024. The video shows Israeli soldiers pushing bodies from a building in the occupied West Bank, Palestine. This has triggered a rare public dispute between the two countries, which have had diplomatic relations for 60 years. “I need to find out if this is true, and if so, what actions have been taken,” he said on X, quoted on Tuesday (14/4/2026). “The forced prostitution of comfort women that we are protesting (related to the Japanese colonial government from 190 to 1945 in Korea) is no different from the Jewish massacre (Holocaust) or killings during wartime,” he added. His mention of the Holocaust appears to have angered Israel’s Foreign Ministry, which responded with a post on X on Saturday. “President Lee’s statement, including the trivialisation of the Jewish massacre ahead of Holocaust Remembrance Day in Israel, is unacceptable and deserves strong condemnation,” the Israeli post stated. “For strange reasons… Lee chose to bring up a story from 2024 and quote a fake account that incorrectly presents it as a current event,” it added. Israel also claimed the incident involving the soldiers occurred during an operation when the troops faced “a direct and imminent threat to life”. It said this had been thoroughly investigated and handled two years ago. “Mr President, it is always better to check first before posting,” the ministry added. Already Clarified In fact, the facts show that Lee had clarified his initial statement with another post. This was to say that the event in the video was a real incident from September 2024 that had been condemned by the US. “International humanitarian law must be upheld in all circumstances, and human dignity must be maintained as a paramount value that cannot be compromised,” Lee added. CNN International reported in 2024 that residents of Qabatya, near Jenin in the occupied West Bank, had recorded Israeli soldiers throwing what appeared to be lifeless bodies from a building on 19 September that year. On the same day, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said it had killed four militants in a “counter-terrorism operation” in the area. When asked about the video at the time, the Israeli military said it showed “a serious incident that does not align with IDF values and the expectations of IDF soldiers”. Israel even said the incident was under review. Under international law, militaries are required to treat enemy soldiers’ corpses with respect and return them to the deceased’s family. A Palestinian politician described the treatment of the bodies as “barbaric”. Increasing International Criticism of Israel In reality, Israel has faced increasing international criticism over the war in Gaza and bombings in Lebanon targeting Hezbollah. European countries in particular have been very vocal. However, open criticism from an East Asian leader is rare. South Korea has generally maintained good relations with Israel. Over the weekend, Lee appeared to reinforce his tweet in response to Israel’s Foreign Ministry statement on Saturday. Although he did not directly name Israel. “It is very disappointing that someone does not even once reflect on criticism from people around the world who suffer and struggle from ongoing anti-human rights and anti-international law actions,” Lee said. “When I feel pain, others feel that pain just as deeply,” he said. Nevertheless, in an effort to ease tensions, South Korea’s Foreign Ministry expressed regret that the Israeli government had “misunderstood the intent” of the president’s statement. Lee’s comments were “an expression of his belief in universal human rights, not an opinion on any specific issue,” the post stated. The post ended by reiterating the ministry’s “deep condolences” to the Holocaust victims. However, on Sunday, Lee appeared to underscore his original message in another post. “The sovereignty of every country and universal human rights must be respected, and aggressive war must be rejected,” Lee wrote on X. “Respect must be earned through respect,” he added.