President Rodrigo Duterte apologized on Tuesday to the Jewish community in the Philippines by visiting the Beit Yaacov Synagogue, the Jewish Association of the Philippines in Makati City.

"I am saying an apology to you because I respect the Jewish community," said Duterte as the Jewish community is celebrating Rosh Hashanah, or the Jewish New Year.

Duterte said his wife, Elizabeth Zimmerman, is a descendant of an American Jew.

“ My wife is a Zimmerman. She was a descendant of an American Jew. Zimmerman. So why would I defile the memory of the Jews. What would I get if I insult the Jewish people ,” he said.

Israel Ambassador to the Philippines Effie Ben Matityau told reporters they accept Duterte's apology.

"He is the President...he said it was never intentional so we accept his apology...from the start we knew his personality already, and we know it's not intentional," Ben Matityau said.

Duterte earlier said he would be happy to slaughter the three million drug addicts in the country, like what Adolf Hitler did to the six million Jews during the Holocaust.

This drew strong condemnation from the Jewish community worldwide. Celerina Monte/DMS