Israel recognizes Armenian genocide amid tensions with Turkey

Israel's government voted unanimously on Sunday to officially recognize the Armenian genocide, further straining the country's already tense relations with Turkey. Turkey's Vice President described the resolution as an attempt to obscure Israel's own crimes. Israel's Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar stated that the vote was not retaliation for Turkey's hostile rhetoric.

Israel's government voted unanimously on Sunday, 28 June 2026, to officially recognize the Armenian genocide, taking this step at a time when relations between the two countries have cooled significantly over recent years.

Foreign Minister's remarks

"Despite extensive and unequivocal historical documentation, the Armenian genocide has been the object of an institutionalized campaign of denial and minimization to this day, including manipulative reframing of history, primarily by the Turkish government," said Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar at a cabinet session.

Sa'ar also emphasized that the vote was not a "retaliatory act" for Turkey's open hostility, rhetoric, or hostile actions against Israel under the leadership of Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. "Moreover, the propagation of false narratives about Israel circulated by Turkey does not grant it immunity from historical truths," he added.

History of the genocide

The Armenian genocide claimed an estimated 1.5 million Armenian lives between 1915 and 1923 under Ottoman imperial rule. Turkey has consistently refused to recognize these events as genocide. To date, over 30 countries worldwide have recognized the mass killings as genocide, including France, Germany, the US, Lebanon, and Syria.

Israel-Turkey relations in decline

What were once close ties have been strained deeply in recent years. A turning point came with Israel's war in Gaza, in which over 73,000 Palestinians had died, following a Hamas terror attack on Israeli civilians on 7 October 2023.

Turkish President Erdoğan has repeatedly accused Israel of genocide in Gaza, accusations that Israel has denied. Ahead of Sunday's vote, Turkey's Vice President Cevdet Yılmaz described Israel's resolution as "an attempt to cover up their own crimes".