Netanyahu recognizes Armenian Genocide on Patrick Bet-David’s podcast

Netanyahu, when pushed by Patrick Bet-David, himself an ethnic Armenian, to personally recognize the Ottoman massacre of Armenians in 1915-1917 as genocide, said, “I just did.”

 Corpses of murdered Armenians lying beside the road during the Armenian Genocide committed by the Ottoman Empire, 1915-1917; illustrative. (photo credit: Wikimedia Commons)
ByJERUSALEM POST

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that he personally recognizes the Armenian Genocide as a genocide in an appearance on Patrick Bet-David’s podcast on Tuesday.

This came after Bet-David asked Netanyahu why Israel is so reluctant to recognize the massacre committed by the Ottoman Empire from 1915 to 1917 as a genocide, given the context of worldwide recognition of the Holocaust.

Netanyahu informed the host that the Knesset recently passed a bill recognizing the massacre as genocide, but the host pushed him for personal recognition.

Netanyahu responded: “I just did.”

Patrick Bet-David commented that he, as an ethnic Armenian-Assyrian, is particularly interested in the subject and that many ethnic Armenians, Assyrians, and Greeks want to hear recognition of the genocide from world leaders.

Previous attempts to pass bill recognizing Armenian Genocide in the Knesset

Israeli Members of the Knesset have repeatedly submitted bills to officially recognize the Armenian Genocide, including in 2018 and 2021, but these bills were voted down.

Recognizing the Armenian Genocide remains controversial; the US did not recognize it until former president Joe Biden assumed office in 2021.

This resulted in Turkey summoning the US ambassador to a meeting to denounce Washington’s recognition.