The government has voted to officially recognize the Armenian Genocide, 1.5 million Armenians died under the Ottoman Empire during WWI. The move comes after Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar brought the proposal to Sunday's cabinet meeting, and follows decades of diplomatic caution on the issue.
On Sunday evening, the Israeli government voted to officially recognize the Armenian Genocide, according to a report from curated sources. The vote, which passed with unanimous support, was brought to the cabinet by Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar and marks a historic reversal of decades of Israeli diplomatic policy that had prioritized strategic ties with Turkey. The decision was reported at 21:51 Jerusalem time, approximately nine hours after the first cabinet confirmation.
The cabinet's unanimous approval was first reported by The Zioneer at 12:31 Jerusalem on Sunday, with subsequent versions expanding the recognition to include Assyrian and Greek victims alongside Armenians. By 13:10 Jerusalem, the government had published a formal statement confirming the decision. Sa'ar, as reported at 13:02 Jerusalem, said the recognition is 'not a retaliatory action' against Turkey but a matter of historical truth. The move follows The Zioneer's earlier report on Thursday June 25 that Sa'ar planned to bring the proposal to Sunday's meeting.
As The Zioneer reported earlier Sunday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan accused Israel of committing 'genocide' in Gaza hours after the Israeli recognition, deepening the rift between Jerusalem and Ankara. Erdogan's remarks came at 16:48 Jerusalem, following the cabinet's vote. The Zioneer on Friday June 26 cited analyst Dr. Doron Matza of the 301 platform, who assessed that the recognition is part of a broader Israeli campaign—military, economic, and diplomatic—against the emerging Sunni axis led by Turkey, while also calling it a moral milestone.
As of 21:51 Jerusalem, no official Israeli government statement has been published beyond the cabinet resolution. The full diplomatic fallout with Turkey remains to be seen, and no independent confirmation of Turkey's response beyond Erdogan's statement has been reported.
4 developments
- StrongFM Sa'ar to bring Armenian Genocide recognition proposal to Sunday cabinet meeting
- DevelopingErdogan accuses Israel of 'genocide' in Gaza hours after Israeli recognition of Armenian genocide
- DevelopingFM Sa'ar: Armenian Genocide recognition not retaliation, but truth
- Developing301 analyst: Sa'ar's Armenian Genocide recognition marks broader campaign against Turkey
Source and signal
- Internal intake