Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of spreading antisemitic lies and called him a 'dictator' on Thursday, according to Amichai Stein (i24NEWS). Netanyahu further claimed Erdogan seeks to take over Syria, while defending Israel's actions in Gaza as the opposite of genocide, saying Israel took 'countless steps' to protect civilians.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu escalated his verbal offensive against Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Thursday evening, accusing him of seeking to expand Turkish control over Syria. Speaking shortly after his earlier remarks at 21:29 Jerusalem, in which he called Erdogan a 'dictator' and defended Israel's actions in Gaza, Netanyahu now claimed that Erdogan harbors ambitions to take over Syria. The accusation, reported by Amichai Stein (i24NEWS), marks a new dimension in the long-running public confrontation between the two leaders.
The Thursday evening exchange follows an earlier statement by Netanyahu at 21:29 Jerusalem, in which he dismissed genocide accusations against Israel as 'the biggest lie,' noted that Israel provides polio vaccines to its enemies, and described the decision to destroy Iran's nuclear program as 'one of the easiest calls' he has ever made. Those remarks, reported by Moriah Asraf and Doron Kadosh (N13/Army Radio), were themselves part of a pattern of escalating rhetoric. As The Zioneer reported on June 10, Netanyahu previously called Erdogan an 'antisemitic dictator' who supports Hamas and oppresses Kurds.
The backdrop to Thursday's escalation includes a series of hostile statements by Erdogan. On June 27, as The Zioneer reported, Erdogan labeled Zionism a 'genocidal, occupying, and expansionist ideology' and framed the struggle against it as a matter of Turkish national survival. In subsequent weeks, Netanyahu raised Erdogan's hostility in a call with U.S. President Donald Trump on July 9, and warned on July 1 that Israel had 'proven what we can do' in response to Turkish provocations. The broader dispute also encompasses Turkey's expulsion from the F-35 program, as The Zioneer detailed on July 6.
Netanyahu's latest claim regarding Erdogan's intentions in Syria remains unsubstantiated by independent evidence and appears to be part of the ongoing rhetorical campaign between Jerusalem and Ankara. No official Turkish response has been reported as of press time.
2 developments
- StrongPM Netanyahu calls Turkey's Erdogan an antisemitic dictator, accuses him of supporting Hamas
- DevelopingNetanyahu tells CNN: Erdogan is trying to destroy my country
- StrongNetanyahu accuses Erdogan of genocidal regime, rejects Turkish 'ruler of Jerusalem' ambition
- DevelopingErdogan calls Netanyahu a 'war criminal' as tensions rise over Iran deal
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