System of a Down's Serj Tankian Criticizes Israeli Government's Armenian Genocide Recognition as Political

Serj Tankian, lead singer of the American metal band System of a Down, sharply criticized the Israeli government's recent decision to officially recognize the Armenian genocide. Tankian, 58, an Armenian-American musician and activist, posted a video on Instagram accusing the government of making a cynical political move. He stated that for many years, Israel had pressured the U.S. Congress not to recognize the genocide due to its ties with Turkey and intelligence cooperation. He condemned the decision as hypocritical, saying, "A government that is committing genocide in Gaza and Lebanon exploits our history and pain."

System of a Down, formed in 1994 in California, consists entirely of Armenian-descended members, and Tankian has long advocated for international recognition of the Armenian genocide. Despite this, he has recently criticized Israel for acknowledging his people's tragedy while allegedly committing similar acts in Gaza and Lebanon.

Earlier this week, the Israeli government approved Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar's proposal to recognize the Armenian genocide, which will be submitted to the Knesset for approval. Sa'ar remarked, "It is never too late to do the right thing," responding to criticism that the move was retaliatory amid deteriorating relations with Turkey. Azerbaijan, which received Israeli weapons support in its recent conflict with Armenia, condemned the decision and called for reconsideration.