Asbarez: Israel Recognizes Armenian Genocide

Chmshkian Vicken
by Contributor

 

 June 28, 2026

 

in Armenia, Featured Main, Latest, News, Top Stories

The Dzidzernagapert Armenian Genocide Memorial in Armenia


The Israeli government voted today to recognize the Armenian Genocide in a move that was sure to antagonize Turkey, which accuses Israel of genocide in Gaza but fiercely denies the charge applies to the Ottoman Empire’s wholesale killing of Armenians during World War I, The Times of Israel reported.

Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar, who had announced last week that he would bring the recognition to a cabinet vote on Sunday, wrote on X after the bill passed unanimously that “it’s never too late to do the right thing.”

“Israel joins 32 countries that have fulfilled a moral duty by recognizing the historical truth, and rejecting attempts to deny it,” Sa’ar wrote.

In a Hebrew-language video statement, he said: “This horrifying genocide, which took place over 100 years ago, and whose facts are not really up for debate, included the murder of 1.5 million people and the destruction of an ancient and historic cultural heritage.”

“In my view, it’s our moral imperative as Jews — and certainly as the state of the Jewish nation — to make the decision that we made today,” Sa’ar said.

In a bid to avoid tension with Turkey, Israel had long refrained from using the word “genocide” to refer to the campaign of massacres, imprisonment and forced deportation that the Ottoman Empire, Turkey’s forerunner, committed against Armenians in the empire’s final years.

Turkey accepts that many Armenians living in the Ottoman Empire were killed in clashes with Ottoman forces during World War I, but contests the figures and has long denied that the killings were systematically orchestrated and constitute a genocide.

Israel’s already strained ties with Turkey tanked after the Hamas terror group invaded southern Israel on October 7, 2023, sparking the war in Gaza. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who supports Hamas, has compared Israel’s actions to those of Nazi Germany, and all but cut his country’s once-robust trade ties with Israel. Israel fiercely denies the charge of genocide in Gaza.

Amid the rupture with Turkey, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said for the first time in August 2025 that he recognizes the Armenian genocide. Ankara accused him at the time of seeking “to exploit past tragedies for political motives.”

Asked at a press conference Saturday night if he supports the Armenian genocide recognition bill, Netanyahu said: “I certainly support it.”

Netanyahu, who is Israel’s longest-serving premier, said he had never tried to block recognition of the genocide, and declined to comment on whether there was concern about Turkey’s reaction to the move.

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Turkey denounces Israel’s ‘political’ recognition of Armenia genocide

Torgomian Varazdat
Al-Arabiya, UAE
June 28 2026

Turkey denounces Israel’s ‘political’ recognition of Armenia genocide

Turkey on Sunday lashed out at Israel after it the massacres of Armenians during World War I as genocide, branding it as a “political” decision to cover its own crimes.

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“The Israeli government, which has systematically persecuted the Palestinian people before the eyes of the entire world and is being tried at the International Court of Justice on charges of committing genocide against the people of Gaza, is seeking to cover up its own crimes through the political decision it has adopted regarding the events of 1915,” said a foreign ministry.

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Turkey accuses Israel of using the Armenian genocide to divert attention from

Arpi Talalian
Democrata, Spain

June 28 2026

Ankara denounces that Israel uses the recognition of the Armenian genocide to cover up its crimes in Gaza and criticizes a decision that it labels as malicious.

The Turkish Executive has lashed out at the Israeli Government’s decision to officially recognize the Armenian genocide, the extermination of the Armenian population at the hands of the former Ottoman Empire during World War I, a historical episode that Ankara has never accepted as genocide.

“The Israeli Government, which systematically oppresses the Palestinian people before the eyes of the entire world and is being tried in the International Court of Justice for genocide against the people of Gaza, wants to cover up its own crimes with the political decision adopted on the events of 1915,” the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs denounced in a statement.

For the Turkish authorities, this resolution is “malicious” and “disregards the legal and historical facts” related to the persecution suffered by the Armenians.

In the note, Ankara emphasizes that the Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, “and his accomplices” are under an “arrest warrant” and states that it will continue “working with determination for the end of Israel’s expansionist and destabilizing policies in the region.”

“The Netanyahu government must be held accountable under the law for the crimes it has committed against civilians, especially against the Palestinian people,” the text concludes.

The Israeli cabinet approved this Sunday the proposal of its Foreign Minister, Gideon Saar, to recognize the Armenian genocide for the massacre of 1.5 million Armenians between 1915 and 1918. These events have been considered genocide since 1965 by several dozen countries and by 43 states in the United States, in addition to the Vatican, the European Parliament, the World Council of Churches, and other international institutions.

“It is never too late to do the right thing,” said Saar, who thanked Netanyahu and the rest of the cabinet for their support. “As Jews, and especially as the nation-state of the Jewish people, I believe it is our moral duty to make this decision,” he stated.

Descendants of the Armenians who managed to survive the massacres have been demanding for years that Western powers officially classify these events as genocide, despite pressure from Turkey, an influential member of NATO and a key partner for European countries.

Turkey, as the heir to the Ottoman Empire, admits that massacres of Armenian civilians occurred, but rejects that they constituted a genocide and maintains that the deaths were not due to a systematic extermination plan designed by the Ottoman authorities.

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“Thank you Netanyahu”: the Israeli government recognized the Armenian Genocide

Ophelia Vardapetian
Eurasia Daily

June 28 2026
“Thank you Netanyahu”: the Israeli government recognized the Armenian Genocide

The Israeli government has approved a resolution recognizing the Armenian Genocide in the Ottoman Empire. This was announced today, June 28, by the head of the Israeli Foreign Ministry, Gideon Saar, who came up with this initiative.

“The Government of Israel approved today the draft resolution on the recognition of the Armenian Genocide submitted by me,” he said. “This horrific genocide that took place more than 100 years ago, the historical facts about which do not cause real disputes, led to the murder of 1.5 million people and the destruction of ancient cultural and historical heritage.”

Saar thanked Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for his support and noted the assistance of Israeli government ministers.

“In my opinion, the adoption of this decision, which we approved today, is our moral obligation as Jews and, of course, as the state of the Jewish people,” the minister believes.

More details: 
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Medvedev Describes Western Interference in Armenian Election Campaign as Unpre

George Mamian
Tasnim News Agency, Iran

June 28 2026

TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Western interference in the recent Armenian election campaign was unprecedented, said Dmitry Medvedev, Russian Security Council deputy chairman and chair of the United Russia party.

He pointed to the Armenian authorities’ persecution of Gagik Tsarukyan, leader of the Prosperous Armenia party. According to Medvedev, Yerevan launched “a new round of reprisals against the opposition members that the ruling circles see as inconvenient,” TASS reported.

“This is met with full silence from Western countries, whose interference in the recent election campaign was unprecedented. In line with their preferred neocolonial practices, they literally switched the Armenian state apparatus to manual control,” the politician said, as cited by the United Russia press service. It will be extremely difficult for Armenia to escape such diktat, the Russian politician added.

According to Medvedev, the West treats Armenia merely as a tool against Russia, said Medvedev. “The West treats the country merely as a toll against Russia and is most interested in clearing the political field of all forces that call for healthy relations between Yerevan and Moscow.”

He warned that any move by Yerevan to cut traditional ties with Russia would inevitably have serious consequences for the Armenian people. “The EU does not care that ordinary people would inevitably have to face heavy consequences from any move to cut ties that took decades to form,” he stressed.

Medvedev emphasized that Russia would judge the Armenian authorities’ intentions by their practical actions.

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Medvedev: West Is Turning Armenia into Tool to Confront Russia

Elizabeth Jabejian
SABA, Yemen

June 28 2026
Medvedev: West Is Turning Armenia into Tool to Confront Russia
[Sun, 28 Jun 2026 15:56:11 +0300]
Moscow – Saba:

Deputy Chairman of the Russian Security Council, Dmitry Medvedev, accused Western countries on Sunday of seeking to turn Armenia into a tool to confront Russia, considering that they are working to eliminate Armenian political forces that call for maintaining normal and balanced relations with Moscow.

In a statement published by the ruling United Russia party, which he leads, Medvedev said that the West is “interested in purging the Armenian political arena of all forces that support sound relations between Moscow and Yerevan,” by supporting policies targeting government opponents, according to the Russia Today website.

He pointed out that the prosecution of businessman and leader of the opposition Prosperous Armenia party, Gagik Tsarukyan, and the pressure on his companies, represent an example of what he described as “retaliatory actions” against political opponents, adding that the seizure of opponents’ commercial assets has become a “distinctive feature” of the ruling team in Armenia.

He described the recent measures as a “new round of repression against opposition figures who are not acceptable to the ruling elite,” affirming that Russia “cannot stand aloof from the internal political developments in brotherly Armenia.”

Medvedev criticized what he considered “Western silence” regarding these developments, accusing Western countries of interfering in the recent Armenian parliamentary elections and imposing direct control over state institutions through new colonial practices.

He questioned the presence of the head of the EU diplomatic mission inside the Central Election Commission on polling day, saying that “no one has provided a clear explanation for his role,” hinting at possible interference in the electoral process that deprived the Prosperous Armenia party of parliamentary representation.

Medvedev considered that the European Union does not take into account the negative repercussions that may result from the deterioration of relations between Armenia and Russia, stating that Yerevan will find it difficult to rid itself of Western influence once it falls under its control.

He concluded by saying that “the political ambitions of the current authorities in Armenia have overshadowed the national interests of the country,” affirming that Moscow “will assess the true intentions of the Armenian leadership through their actions, not their words.”

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Turkish Press: Russia’s Medvedev accuses Armenian authorities of launching ‘ne

Khondkarian Raffi
Anadolu Agency, Turkey

June 28 2026
Medvedev also alleges Western interference in Armenia’s recent parliamentary election
Elena Teslova
28 June 2026•Update: 28 June 2026

Moscow – Russian Security Council Deputy Chairman and United Russia party leader Dmitry Medvedev on Sunday criticized Armenian authorities’ request to strip Prosperous Armenia party leader Gagik Tsarukyan of his parliamentary immunity.

In a statement released by the party’s press service, Medvedev said that Armenia’s leadership has launched a “new round of repression” against opposition figures it finds inconvenient.

“We view this step as a new round of repression against opposition representatives who are inconvenient for the ruling elite,” he said.

Medvedev also alleged that administrative resources had been widely used during Armenia’s recent parliamentary election and accused Western countries of remaining silent over pressure on the opposition.

“All of this is happening amid complete silence from Western countries, whose interference in the election campaign has been unprecedented. In the spirit of their favorite neocolonial practices, they have literally put Armenia’s state apparatus on manual control,” he said.

“Such attacks, along with the large-scale use of administrative resources, have become a hallmark of the recent elections in the republic, which fundamentally contradicts the authorities’ assurances of their commitment to ‘protecting democratic principles,'” he argued.

Medvedev questioned the presence of the head of the EU diplomatic mission at the Central Election Commission on election day.

“He was probably monitoring the ‘democratic’ nature of the procedures. Or perhaps he was personally instructing how to process voter ballots in order to deny Prosperous Armenia the chance to enter parliament, contrary to the will of a significant portion of the country’s citizens,” he said.

The official said the West viewed Armenia solely as “a tool in its struggle against Russia” and is interested in clearing the political field of all forces that advocate healthy relations between Moscow and Yerevan.

A rupture of established ties with Russia would entail inevitable severe consequences for ordinary Armenian citizens, Medvedev warned.

“The inevitable severe consequences for ordinary citizens from severing ties that have been built over decades are of absolutely no interest to the EU,” he said.

Medvedev emphasized that Moscow will judge the true intentions of Yerevan’s leadership by its actions.

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‘It’s Never Too Late To Do the Right Thing,’ FM Sa’ar Applauds Israeli Cabine

Emma Jilavian
The MediaLine

June 28 2026
The Media Line Staff
06/28/2026

Israel’s cabinet approved a resolution on Sunday formally recognizing the Armenian Genocide, advancing legislation proposed by Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar that describes acknowledgment of the mass killings as a “moral and historical duty” and sends the measure to the Knesset for a final vote.

The resolution, which passed by a unanimous vote in the Cabinet, officially recognizes the mass killing of approximately 1.5 million Armenians during the final years of the Ottoman Empire and calls on Israel to condemn efforts to deny, minimize, or distort the historical record.

Sa’ar introduced the proposal last week, setting in motion what the government described as a significant policy change. On news of the Cabinet’s approval of the measure, Sa’ar wrote on X: “It’s never too late to do the right thing.” He added, “I thank Prime Minister Netanyahu for the support and the government ministers for their unanimous support in approving the resolution proposal.”

For decades, Israel refrained from formally recognizing the Armenian Genocide while maintaining diplomatic and commercial relations with Turkey and Azerbaijan. The cabinet vote marks a shift in that approach as tensions with Turkey have escalated in recent years.

The legislation must now be approved by the Knesset before becoming state law.

Explanatory text accompanying the proposal states that the Armenian Genocide began in April 1915 with the arrest, deportation, and killing of hundreds of Armenian intellectuals, community leaders, and members of the educated elite in Constantinople.

It says Ottoman authorities subsequently launched a systematic campaign against the broader Armenian population. Armenian men were conscripted into forced labor before being killed, while women, children, and elderly civilians were expelled from their homes and forced on death marches toward the Syrian desert. During those marches, the proposal says victims were subjected to mass murder, rape, deliberate starvation, and dehydration.

The explanatory text states that approximately 1.5 million Armenians were killed and that the campaign destroyed a cultural and historical heritage that had existed across Anatolia for thousands of years.

It also says the Armenian Genocide continues to face organized attempts to deny or minimize what occurred despite what it describes as extensive and unequivocal historical documentation. The proposal specifically cites what it calls the manipulative rewriting of history books, primarily by Turkey.

According to the proposal, 32 countries have recognized the Armenian Genocide through parliamentary resolutions, legislation, or official declarations. In addition to formal recognition, the resolution calls on Israel to condemn all efforts to blur, minimize, or deny the atrocities committed against the Armenian people.

READ ALSO

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Armenia and Mongolia Discussed Strengthening Bilateral Relations

Ekmekjian Janet
June 28 2026
The Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Armenia Mnatsakan Safaryan met with the State Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Mongolia Mönkhtushig Lkhanaajav in Croatia. The meeting took place within the framework of the Dubrovnik Forum, highlighting the importance of intergovernmental dialogue on the international stage.

During the discussions, attention was focused on strengthening bilateral relations, enhancing economic cooperation, and simplifying visa procedures for citizens of both countries. These measures are aimed at developing regional ties and creating opportunities for closer interaction.

In addition, Safaryan shared plans regarding the 17th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity, which will be held in Armenia in 2026. Steps towards establishing peace in the South Caucasus were also discussed, which is an important topic for the region.


https://open.kg/en/news/in-the-world/106408-armenija-i-mongolija-obsudili-ukreplenie-dvustoronnih-otnoshenij.html

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Iran and Armenia expand economic cooperation

Boris Nahapetian
PARS TODAY

June 28 2026

Pars Today – The head of Iran’s Plan and Budget Organization met with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan during an official visit to Armenia.

According to Pars Today, citing Al Alam, Nikol Pashinyan, Armenia’s Prime Minister, and Hamid Pourmohammadi, Iran’s Vice President and head of the Plan and Budget Organization, discussed the progress of cross-border infrastructure projects, including the construction of a second bridge, the removal of transport bottlenecks, the expansion and completion of modernization work at the Norduz and Meghri border terminals, as well as customs-related issues such as integrating the electronic data exchange system and finalizing the list of authorized economic operators. The two sides emphasized the implementation of the agreements reached.

Pourmohammadi also met with Mher Grigoryan, Armenia’s Deputy Prime Minister and the Armenian co-chair of the Iran-Armenia Joint Commission. Key topics of discussion included facilitating the transit of Iranian trucks, expanding transit and transportation opportunities, particularly for the export of Iranian goods to Armenia, and improving access to the North–South transport corridor.

During the meetings between Iran’s Vice President and head of the Plan and Budget Organization and Armenian officials, the Armenian side expressed satisfaction with the performance of Iranian companies and praised their capabilities. Armenian officials also announced their readiness to entrust Iranian firms with major components of the country’s infrastructure projects, particularly in the transportation and road construction sectors.

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