Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has explicitly stated for the first time that he recognizes the massacre of Armenians in the Ottoman Empire during World War I as genocide, Israeli media reported, quoted by BTA.
He did this in the podcast of journalist Patrick Bet-David on Tuesday, writes “Jerusalem Post“.
Bet-David asked Netanyahu why Israel hesitates to recognize the massacre of Armenians, Assyrians and Greeks in the Ottoman Empire in the period 1915 – 1917 as genocide, given that the world recognizes the Holocaust against the Jews.
In response, the Israeli prime minister announced that the Knesset had recently passed a resolution recognizing the events in the Ottoman Empire as genocide. However, when the journalist insisted on his personal recognition, Netanyahu replied: “I just did“.
Patrick Bet-David commented that as an ethnic Armenian and Assyrian, he was particularly interested in the topic and that many ethnic Armenians, Assyrians and Greeks wanted to hear recognition of the genocide from world leaders.
Israeli lawmakers have repeatedly submitted draft resolutions to officially recognize the Armenian Genocide in the Knesset, including in 2018 and 2021, but their proposals were rejected.
Turkey, as the successor to the Ottoman Empire, categorically opposes the designation of the events of 1915 – 1917 as genocide.