Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar announced on Thursday that he will present a proposal at the Israeli government's next meeting on Sunday to officially recognize the Armenian Genocide, describing it as a "moral and historical obligation." The resolution is expected to be brought before the Knesset after cabinet approval.
Saar's Announcement and Rationale
In a post on X, Saar stated, "I will bring to the approval of the Israeli government at its next meeting a proposed resolution for the official recognition by the Government of Israel of the Armenian Genocide." He added, "This is a moral and historical obligation to recognize the genocide perpetrated against the Armenian people in the final days of the Ottoman Empire. At the same time, it is necessary to condemn denial, minimization, or distortion of the historical truth."
Background and Previous Israeli Stance
According to the Times of Israel, Saar's office announced the proposal on Thursday, with the cabinet expected to vote on it Sunday. This move is likely to provoke Turkey. Israel had previously refrained from recognizing the World War I atrocities as genocide over concerns it could damage relations with Turkey. However, ties have deteriorated sharply since Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan rose to power, following the Hamas-led October 7, 2023, attack on Israel and the ensuing war in Gaza. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said for the first time last year that he recognized the Armenian Genocide.
Details of the Proposal
Quoting the explanatory text accompanying the proposal, the Times of Israel reported, "Despite extensive and unequivocal historical documentation, the Armenian Genocide remains the subject of an organized campaign of denial and minimization, including the manipulative rewriting of history books, primarily by Turkey." The proposal further states, "In light of this moral and historical obligation, it is proposed that the Government of Israel recognize the genocide committed against the Armenian people during the final years of the Ottoman Empire. In addition, given ongoing attempts to blur, minimize, or deny the atrocities of the Armenian Genocide, the proposal calls for condemning all efforts to distort the historical truth of these events."
Expected Reactions and Next Steps
According to the Times of Israel, the proposal will be brought before the Knesset after the cabinet vote. There was no immediate reaction from Turkey to Saar's announcement. In August 2025, Ankara said, "Netanyahu's remarks concerning the events of 1915 are an attempt to exploit past tragedies for political motives." Armenians have long sought international recognition of the killings in the early 20th century, which reportedly left some 1.5 million of their people dead, as a genocide. Turkey, as the Ottoman Empire's successor state, strongly rejects the allegation that the massacres, imprisonment, and forced deportation of Armenians amounted to genocide.
