Israel cabinet votes to recognize Armenian genocide; Turkey calls it a political cover for Gaza crimes

Cabinet decision

Israel's cabinet voted unanimously on Sunday to formally recognize the mass killings of Armenians during the First World War as genocide. The proposal, brought by Foreign Minister Gideon Saar, still requires approval from the Knesset. Saar described the move as a "moral and historical duty," adding that "it is never too late to do the right thing."

“Despite the extensive and unambiguous historical documentation, the Armenian Genocide remains to this day the subject of an institutionalized campaign of denial and minimization, including a manipulative rewriting of history, mainly by the Turkish government.”

The decision was welcomed by the Armenian community in Jerusalem, which sent a letter of appreciation to Saar. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has previously described the violence as genocide but Israel had never formalized the recognition.

Historical dispute

Historians estimate that between 600,000 and 1.5 million Armenians were killed by Ottoman forces around 1915, an event widely regarded as the first genocide of the 20th century. Turkey acknowledges mass killings but puts the toll at 300,000 to 500,000 and rejects the term genocide, arguing the deaths resulted from civil war and unrest. More than 30 countries, including the United States, France, Germany and Russia, have officially recognized the genocide. Former US president Joe Biden did so in 2021, though his successor Donald Trump has not.

Turkey's response

Turkey's foreign ministry immediately condemned the Israeli decision as a political maneuver to divert attention from the war in Gaza.

“The Israeli government, which has systematically persecuted the Palestinian people under the eyes of the whole world and is on trial at the International Court of Justice with the accusation of having committed genocide against the population of Gaza, is trying to cover up its own crimes through the political decision it adopted regarding the events of 1915.”

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, a vocal supporter of the Palestinian cause, has repeatedly accused Israel of genocide in Gaza and likened its leaders to Nazis. Israel denies the accusations, and Netanyahu has called Erdogan an "antisemitic dictator committing genocide against the Kurds."

Deteriorating ties

Israel and Turkey were once close strategic partners, but relations have soured over the past two decades, especially during the Gaza conflicts. Saar insisted the recognition was not retaliation for Turkey's hostility. "The fact that Turkey spreads lies about Israel does not give it immunity from historical truths," he said. The cabinet vote comes as Israel faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice over its military campaign in Gaza, launched after Hamas's October 7, 2023 attack. Armenia itself recognized the State of Palestine in June 2024, further straining its relations with Israel. No date has been set for the Knesset vote.