For the first time, an Israeli Prime Minister has publicly acknowledged the genocides perpetrated by the Ottoman Empire against the Armenians, Greeks of Pontus, and Assyrians, according to Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation (RIK).
The statement came from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a podcast interview with Patrick Bet-David, an American entrepreneur and media host of Armenian and Assyrian descent.
Bet-David pressed the Prime Minister on why Israel had never officially recognized these genocides, despite the fact that 193 countries have recognized the Holocaust, with some even imposing prison sentences on Holocaust denial.
Initially, Netanyahu responded that he believed the Knesset had already passed such a decision, though no such law exists. When Bet-David insisted that no Israeli leader had ever explicitly recognized these atrocities, Netanyahu replied:
Turkish Government’s Strong Reaction
Turkey’s Foreign Ministry reacted sharply to Netanyahu’s remarks, accusing him of political opportunism and of attempting to “cover up his own crimes” regarding Israel’s actions in Gaza.
“Netanyahu’s statement about the events of 1915 is an attempt to exploit the painful tragedies of the past for political purposes,” the ministry said in a statement.
“We condemn and reject this statement, which is inconsistent with historical and legal facts.”
Sources: RIK Radio / ANA-MPA / Translated by: Konstantinos Menyktas
