Netanyahu: Israel takes Erdoğan's threats of destruction 'very seriously'

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a stern warning, stating that Israel "takes very seriously" the rhetoric from Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan threatening the Jewish state's destruction. Netanyahu conveyed this during a cabinet meeting, according to Israeli media reports confirmed by his office.

"Hardly a day goes by without Erdoğan calling for the destruction of the State of Israel. We take these words very seriously, because if there is one thing we have learned from the history of our people, it is that when someone declares that they intend to destroy you, you must take them seriously," Netanyahu reportedly told cabinet members.

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Hardly a day goes by without Erdoğan calling for the destruction of the State of Israel. We take these words very seriously, because if there is one thing we have learned from the history of our people, it is that when someone declares that they intend to destroy you, you must take them seriously.

Netanyahu added that these statements would also be brought to the attention of "our American friends," assuring that they are not being ignored. This comes amid heightened tensions in Turkish-Israeli relations. Erdoğan and other Turkish officials have recently intensified their threats against Jerusalem, with Turkey's interior minister calling for the city's "liberation."

Since the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023, Erdoğan has been a vocal critic of Israel, accusing Jerusalem of genocide in Gaza and supporting international arrest warrants against Israeli leaders. Some Western and Israeli media have reported Erdoğan stating in March 2025, "May Allah, for the sake of his name… destroy and devastate Zionist Israel."

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We will also bring to the attention of our American friends these statements. We are not ignoring them.