Israeli Minister Hits Back at Erdogan: What About the Armenian Genocide?

Transportation Minister Yisrael Katz (Likud) hit back at Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Thursday, after the latter accused Israel of attempting a “systematic genocide” of Palestinian Arabs in Gaza, in his strongest attack yet on the Jewish state over self-defense campaign Operation Protective Edge.

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In a post on his Facebook page, Katz reminded Erodgan of the Armenian Genocide, when in 1915 more than a million Armenians were murdered by Ottoman troops.

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“In 1915 the Turks massacred a million and a half Armenians and he accuses us, who are fighting his friends in the Islamic movement, of genocide? Who wants a relationship with such a person?” wrote Katz.

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In Thursday’s remarks, Erdogan said, “We are witnessing this systematic genocide every Ramadan. The Western world remains silent; so does the Islamic world.”

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“Because those who lost their lives are Palestinian, you can’t hear their voices,” he added.

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Erdogan has become increasingly vocal over the operation, and threatened to end the normalization process with Israel over “state terrorism.”

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He has also accused Israel of “lies” because “not enough” Israeli Jews have died in the conflict and has compared Jewish Home MK Ayelet Shaked to Adolf Hitler.

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In April, Erdogan offered condolences to the grandchildren of the Armenians who were murdered by Ottoman troops.

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