Israel officially recognizes Armenian genocide

The Israeli government unanimously approved Sunday the recognition of the Armenian genocide, dealing a pointed blow to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan at a moment of acute tension between the two countries.

"It is never too late to do what is right. This is both a moral and historical duty," declared Foreign Minister Gideon Saar, whose proposal was adopted by the full cabinet. The decision still requires parliamentary approval.

Previous Israeli governments had deliberately avoided recognising the Armenian genocide, between 600,000 and 1.5 million Armenians killed under the Ottoman Empire during World War One,  largely to preserve ties with Turkey, once one of Israel's closest regional partners. 

Those ties are now in ruins, and with them, any reason for restraint.

The Erdogan Factor

The timing is no coincidence. Erdogan has spent years positioning himself as Israel's most vociferous critic, comparing Israeli leaders to Nazi officials, suspending the bulk of trade relations and throwing Turkey's diplomatic weight behind Hamas. 

Netanyahu has consistently fired back, labelling Erdogan "an antisemitic dictator who commits genocide against the Kurds."

The man who lectures Israel on genocide while denying one of history's most documented massacres — and while waging a decades-long military campaign against the Kurdish people — is in no moral position to occupy the high ground on anything.

Sunday's decision reminds the world of that contradiction. Loudly, clearly and unanimously.