Israel recognizes Armenian genocide: 'Never too late to do the right thing'

Israel has officially recognized the Armenian genocide, a significant shift after decades of opposition. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced the decision, acknowledging the systematic killing of approximately 1.5 million Armenians by the Ottoman Empire between 1915 and 1923.

Foreign Minister Gideon Saar described the recognition as "historical" and stated, "It is never too late to do the right thing." He emphasized the moral and historical duty to condemn any denial or distortion of this history. This recognition aligns Israel with over thirty countries that already officially acknowledge the genocide.

However, the announcement was met with criticism from Hagop Djernazian, an activist within Jerusalem's Armenian community. He labeled the decision as "opportunistic," questioning the timing and the government's past actions that he claims actively sabotaged recognition efforts for years. Djernazian argued that recognizing such crimes should honor victims, not serve as a convenient foreign policy tool, especially given recent diplomatic tensions between Israel and Turkey and UN findings regarding events in Gaza.