Netanyahu says he will raise Erdogan’s anti-Israel rhetoric with Washington

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Tel Aviv : Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has asserted that his administration views Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s rhetoric against Israel “very seriously.” Moreover, he intends to take up the matter with the United States.

According to a report by The Times of Israel, Netanyahu emphasised the gravity of the regular threats emanating from Ankara. He noted that Israel cannot afford to overlook such explicit hostility.

Addressing a cabinet session on Sunday, Netanyahu stated, “Hardly a day goes by without Erdogan calling for the destruction of the State of Israel. We take those words very seriously, because if there is one thing we have learned from the history of our people, it is that when someone says they intend to destroy you, you should take them seriously.”

The Israeli Prime Minister further noted that Tel Aviv would engage Washington on the issue, saying, “We will also draw the attention of our American friends to these remarks. We are not ignoring them.”

The latest friction comes amid a sharp escalation in tensions between Israel and Turkey since the outbreak of the Gaza conflict. The conflict was triggered by the Hamas-led October 7, 2023, assault. Erdogan has positioned himself as one of Israel’s fiercest detractors on the global stage. In addition, he routinely levels accusations of genocide in Gaza. He also throws his weight behind international legal proceedings targeting the Israeli leadership.

The rhetoric from Turkish officials has grown increasingly aggressive in recent weeks, featuring public calls to “liberate” Jerusalem. This has placed immense strain on an already fragile bilateral relationship.

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This escalating diplomatic dispute was further underscored by targeted political manoeuvres on Sunday. The Israeli cabinet gave unanimous backing to a resolution to recognise the mass killings of Armenians under the Ottoman Empire during the First World War as genocide. Moreover, the move is widely perceived as a deliberate diplomatic counter-strike against Ankara.

Bilateral relations between the two nations, which historically operated as close regional allies, have faced a severe breakdown. The rupture has continued since the eruption of hostilities in Gaza.

Ankara has frozen the bulk of its commercial trade operations with Tel Aviv. It has openly aligned itself as a staunch diplomatic backer of Hamas. Conversely, Israel has repeatedly slammed Erdogan for maintaining a hostile posture. Furthermore, Israel accuses him of relying on highly inflammatory rhetoric.

The formal designation of the Armenian genocide has historically remained a highly sensitive geopolitical fault line. Previous Israeli administrations consistently steered clear of formal recognition to protect strategic ties with Turkey.

Ankara vehemently opposes the genocide classification. It argues that the casualties suffered during the First World War occurred within the broader context of wartime losses. Instead, it asserts these casualties did not occur as part of a systematic extermination campaign.

(ANI)

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