The Israeli government on Sunday unanimously approved Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar's proposal to recognize the Armenian Genocide. Speaking at the cabinet meeting, Sa'ar said, "It is never too late to do the right thing."
For the decision to become final, the bill must be submitted to the Israeli Parliament, the Knesset, and approved by lawmakers.
The text of the decision states that Israel recognizes the genocide committed against the Armenian people during the final years of the Ottoman Empire "on the basis of its moral and historical duty." It also calls for the condemnation of any denial, minimization, or distortion of the historical reality of these events.
The text states that approximately 1.5 million Armenians were killed and that the centuries-old Armenian cultural and historical heritage in Anatolia was destroyed.
It further states that, despite extensive historical documentation, the Armenian Genocide continues to be the subject of an organized campaign of denial, particularly by Turkey. The proposal notes that 32 countries have recognized the genocide in various forms.
Reaction from Turkey
Following the development, Turkey's Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement. It said: "The Israeli government, which is carrying out systematic oppression against the Palestinian people before the eyes of the entire world and is being tried before the International Court of Justice on charges of committing genocide against the people of Gaza, aims to cover up its own crimes through the political decision it has adopted regarding the events of 1915."
The Azerbaijani Ministry of Foreign Affairs described the decision as "a source of serious concern" and "a distortion of historical facts."
"There is only compassion in our history"
President Erdoğan responded to the decision with the following remarks: "There is neither genocide, nor massacre, nor oppression, nor colonialism in our history. Throughout our thousands of years of glorious history, there has only been justice and compassion. We have always extended a helping hand to all the oppressed, regardless of their religion, origin, or identity. We have shown the virtue of protecting those fleeing the Inquisition and Nazi persecution."
"We should not become part of its instrumentalization"
Following the decision, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said that they did not feel the need to respond to the recognition of the Armenian Genocide.
Speaking to journalists after a meeting of the Civil Contract Party Board, Pashinyan said: "We do not feel the need to respond. We believe that it is in the interests of the Republic of Armenia not to become involved in discussions surrounding the instrumentalization of the Armenian Genocide issue."
David Petrosyan, co-founder and researcher at the Yerevan Center for Foreign and Security Policy, said that Israel is using the Armenian Genocide issue as a "bargaining chip" to exert pressure on Turkey. Speaking to Armenian Public Radio, Petrosyan said: "This agenda emerged in Israel. The Armenian side played no role in initiating this process, neither through diplomatic channels nor lobbying efforts. I believe it is the right approach for Armenia to stay out of this process." Petrosyan added that, in some cases, remaining silent can be more meaningful than making a statement.
