Israel formally recognises the Armenian genocide amid strained ties with Turkey

Israel's government has unanimously recognised the mass killings of Armenians during World War I as genocide, in a move that adds a new diplomatic strain to already difficult relations with Turkey. The decision was approved on Sunday after being proposed by Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar. It still requires ratification by parliament before it becomes fully formalised.

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Sa'ar thanked Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for backing the proposal and said Israel had fulfilled a moral duty by recognising what he called the historical truth and rejecting attempts to deny it. According to a statement from his office, he told ministers that the Armenian Genocide remains the subject of an institutionalised campaign of denial and minimisation, including what he described as a manipulative rewriting of history, mainly by the Turkish government. He added that he believed the time had come for Israel, as a Jewish state, to formally accept this position.

The Armenian genocide refers to the systematic elimination and deportation of Armenian Christian people living in the Ottoman Empire from spring 1915 to autumn 1916. The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum estimates that between 664,000 and 1.2 million Armenians died as a result. The recognition places Israel among countries including the United States, France, Germany and Italy that have formally described the killings as genocide.

The decision comes amid deteriorating Israel-Turkey relations, which have been strained since the outbreak of the Gaza war in October 2023. Turkey has long resisted calls to recognise the killings as genocide, and the issue has remained a sensitive point in bilateral ties for years. Israel's move is therefore likely to be read not only as a historical statement, but also as a political signal at a time of wider regional tension.

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The vote also reflects the role of senior political figures in shaping the outcome. Sa'ar brought the proposal to the cabinet, while Netanyahu's support helped secure unanimous approval. That unanimity suggests the government wanted to present the decision as a collective position rather than a narrow party initiative.

It also underlines how historical recognition can become part of current foreign policy calculations. What happens next depends on parliament, which must still ratify the decision. It is not yet clear when that step will take place or whether it will face any procedural delay.

The main issue to watch is how Turkey responds, and whether the recognition affects already strained diplomatic contacts between the two countries.

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