Israel's Cabinet Approves Armenian Genocide Recognition

Israel's Cabinet unanimously approved a proposal on Sunday to designate violence against Armenians by the Ottoman Empire during World War I as a genocide. The decision still requires approval from Israel’s Knesset or parliament.

The move comes amid deteriorating ties between Israel and Turkey. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan dismissed the Israeli proposal, accusing Israel of having 'the blood of 73,000 innocent people of Gaza' on its hands during a televised address following a Turkish Cabinet meeting.

Turkey has fiercely lobbied against countries officially recognizing the mass deaths of Armenians around 1915 as a genocide. Historians estimate that up to 1.5 million Armenians were killed by Ottoman Turks during and after World War I, an event widely viewed by scholars as the first genocide of the 20th century.

Turkey denies that the deaths constituted genocide, asserting that the toll has been inflated and those killed were victims of civil war and unrest. Erdogan stated in his address: 'Our history is free from genocide, massacres, oppression, and colonialism.'

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar brought the decision to the government, stating that despite extensive historical documentation, the Armenian Genocide remains subject to an institutionalized campaign of denial and minimization by the Turkish government. Saar noted that Israeli leaders, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, have previously described the violence against Armenians as a genocide but it has never been formally recognized in a vote by Israel’s Knesset.

Saar emphasized that 32 countries, including the United States, Syria, and Lebanon, have classified the violence as a genocide. The decision was approved unanimously by Israel's Cabinet, though there was no immediate reaction from Turkey. This move reflects the soured relationship between Israel and Turkey over the past two decades, particularly in light of recent conflicts in Gaza, Lebanon, and Iran.

Turkey called Israel's move a 'politically motivated' step meant to distract from the country's own actions against Palestinians. The Turkish Foreign Ministry said in a statement that the Israeli government aims to cover up its own crimes by recognizing the Armenian genocide. Turkey also criticized Israel for facing accusations of genocide in Gaza.