The Israeli government officially recognized the genocide of Armenians perpetrated by the Ottoman Empire during World War I on Sunday. The move stems from a resolution draft introduced by Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar late last week. Following the vote, Sa’ar stated, “It is never too late to do the right thing.” The draft is now set to be presented to the Knesset plenary session for a final vote.
Last Thursday, Sa’ar had previously announced that the recognition of the genocide against the Armenian people in the final years of the Ottoman Empire represents both a moral and historical obligation. He added that Israel must “decisively condemn any denial, minimization, or distortion of the historical truth.”
Turkey has long rejected the assertion that the massacres, detentions, and forced deportations of Armenians constituted genocide. Previously, Israel had avoided official recognition for many years due to diplomatic considerations.
The ongoing dispute over the recognition of this genocide as a historical fact continues to strain relations between Turkey, Armenia, and numerous Western nations. Since 1965, several states have officially recognized the deportations and massacres that occurred between 1915 and 1917 as genocide, in line with the 1948 UN Genocide Convention. Both the Holy See and the European Parliament have also officially acknowledged the genocide.
