Israel government recognizes Armenian genocide in Turkey rebuke

Israel government recognizes Armenian genocide, deepens Turkey rift — Russian soldiers in the former Armenian village of Sheykhalan, 1915. Photo: Creative Commons/ wikipedia.

TEL AVIV,— Israel’s government unanimously approved a proposal on Sunday to recognize the mass killings of Armenians during World War I as genocide, a step viewed as a clear message to Turkey amid worsening relations between the two countries.

The decision was announced by Israel’s foreign ministry, which described the move as a historic development.

The proposal was submitted by Foreign Minister Gideon Saar and received unanimous support from the cabinet. The measure still requires approval by parliament before it can take full effect.

Ties between Israel and Turkey have deteriorated significantly since the outbreak of the Gaza war following the October 2023 attacks on Israel by the Arab Islamist radical movement Hamas.

The recognition of the Armenian genocide comes against the backdrop of growing political tensions and public exchanges between leaders of the two countries.

Speaking at a cabinet meeting, Saar said the Armenian genocide continues to face organized efforts aimed at denial and minimization.

In a statement released by his office, he said such efforts include attempts to alter historical accounts and that these actions are led primarily by the Turkish government.

Saar said Israel, as a Jewish state, should formally adopt the position that the killings constituted genocide.

Armenian genocide by Turks. An Armenian woman kneeling beside dead child in field within sight of help and safety at Aleppo, 1915-1919. Photo: Creative Commons/wikimedia.

He described the move as both a moral responsibility and a historical obligation, adding that the passage of time should not prevent the country from taking such action.

Previous Israeli governments had refrained from formally recognizing the Armenian genocide. The issue was often viewed through the lens of maintaining relations with Turkey, which for many years was regarded as one of Israel’s closest strategic partners in the region.

Since the Gaza conflict began, Turkey has repeatedly accused Israel of carrying out genocide in the Palestinian territory. Israel has firmly rejected those allegations.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has become one of the most outspoken critics of Israel’s military campaign, frequently drawing comparisons between Israeli leaders and Nazi officials.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has responded with criticism of Erdogan, describing him as an anti-semitic dictator who commits genocide against the Kurds.

Turkey has halted most of its trade with Israel and has emerged as one of Hamas’s strongest diplomatic backers.

Saar said the recognition was not intended as retaliation for what he described as Turkey’s hostility, rhetoric and actions toward Israel under Erdogan’s leadership.

He added that Turkey’s promotion of what he called false narratives about Israel does not exempt it from historical facts.

Armenians seek international acknowledgment that the deaths of their people under the Ottoman Empire between 1915 and 1917 constituted genocide.

They say 1.5 million people died. Turkey rejects that characterization and says both Armenians and Turks were killed during the First World War, placing the death toll in the hundreds of thousands.

More than two dozen countries, including the United States, France and Germany, recognize the killings as genocide.

er U.S. president Joe Biden adopted that position, while his successor, President Donald Trump, has not used the same term.

Armenia and Turkey do not have diplomatic relations, though both sides have indicated interest in improving ties in recent years.

(With files from AFP)