The Israeli government on June 28 unanimously approved a proposal to formally recognize the 1915 events as genocide, following a motion put forward by Foreign Minister Gideon Saar, in a move that is expected to further strain already fragile relations with Türkiye.
Armenia has long accused the Ottoman Empire of committing genocide against Armenians in 1915 during World War I. Türkiye, however, has consistently rejected this characterization, while acknowledging that large numbers of Armenians died amid wartime conditions, including violence, forced displacement and disease.
“It is never too late to do the right thing,” Saar said in a social media post on June 28 after he announced that the government approved his resolution. The proposal will now be submitted to the plenum of the Knesset, the Israeli parliament, for a vote.
Israel has historically refrained from formally recognizing the events as genocide, largely out of concern that doing so could damage relations with Ankara.
However, ties between the two countries have sharply deteriorated since the outbreak of the Gaza war in October 2023, amid Turkish accusations that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza.
Last year, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said for the first time that he recognized the 1915 events as genocide, a statement that drew strong condemnation from Türkiye.
“Netanyahu, who is on trial for his role in the genocide committed against the Palestinian people, is attempting to cover up the crimes he and his government have committed,” Ankara said at that time.
