Prime Minister Netanyahu said in the cabinet meeting that Erdogan’s near-daily calls for the destruction of Israel are taken with utmost seriousness. He added that Israel will bring these statements to the attention of American friends, citing the lesson that when someone says they intend to destroy you, they should be taken at their word.
Prime Minister Netanyahu issued a pointed warning regarding Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's rhetoric during Sunday's cabinet meeting, according to the full quote reported by Amit Segal (N12). Netanyahu stated: "Hardly a day passes that Erdoğan does not call for the destruction of the State of Israel — we take these words very seriously. Because if we have learned one thing in the history of our people — when someone says they intend to destroy you, take them seriously." He added that Israel would direct the attention of its American allies to Erdoğan's statements, framing the Turkish leader's remarks as a persistent threat rather than mere provocation.
This statement comes against a backdrop of heightened Israeli-Turkish tensions, though The Zioneer's archive shows no prior bulletin in this thread recording Netanyahu explicitly raising Erdoğan's comments in such a direct cabinet setting. The sharp language signals Jerusalem's intent to treat Erdoğan's repeated calls for Israel's destruction as a diplomatic and security concern, not empty rhetoric. As The Zioneer previously reported in a BACKGROUND context, Netanyahu has recently navigated complex relations with the US administration over strategic decisions, including a tense Trump call regarding Lebanon and independence on Iran strike readiness.
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