Israel to consider formal recognition of the Armenian Genocide

Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar said on Thursday that he will bring a draft resolution to the government’s next meeting seeking official Israeli recognition of the Armenian Genocide. The proposal says Israel should act out of moral and historical obligation and should also condemn denial, minimization, or distortion of the historical truth about the events.

Sa'ar said the genocide remains the target of an organized campaign of denial and minimization, including manipulative rewriting of history books, “mainly by Turkey.” The move comes after years in which Israel avoided formal recognition, despite several Knesset initiatives that were shelved whether they passed or failed.

The article notes that 32 countries have recognized the Armenian Genocide in various ways, through parliamentary resolutions, legislation, or statements. It describes the Israeli move as a symbolic sanction against Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

The issue has also surfaced in past Israeli remarks and ceremonies. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu once told Armenian-Assyrian podcaster Patrick Bet David, “Here, I have recognized the massacre,” but did not elaborate. In March 2023, a plaza in Haifa was inaugurated in memory of the 1.5 million Armenians killed in the genocide during World War I, at a ceremony attended by then-mayor Einat Kalisch-Rotem and members of the Armenian community. Kalisch-Rotem said Haifa chose to commemorate the genocide as part of its commitment to coexistence and moral responsibility, and Father Dirair Hovakimian said greater awareness of such atrocities helps prevent them from happening again.