'Never too late': Israeli gov't unilaterally votes to recognize Armenian Genocide

The Israeli government has formally recognized the Armenian Genocide, a move Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar described as "never too late to do the right thing." The resolution, proposed by Sa'ar late last week, passed on Sunday and is now set for a vote in the Knesset plenum.

"Recognizing the genocide perpetrated against the Armenian people in the final years of the Ottoman Empire is both a moral and historical duty," Sa'ar stated on X/Twitter. He emphasized the importance of condemning "any denial, minimization, or distortion of the historical truth." The Foreign Ministry added that the genocide has faced an "institutionalized campaign of denial and minimization," primarily led by Turkey.

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It's never too late to do the right thing.

Historically, Israel has refrained from formal recognition due to diplomatic sensitivities with Turkey. Ankara denies that the massacres, forced deportations, and imprisonment of Armenians constituted genocide. Despite these sensitivities, 32 UN member states, including the United States, Canada, and Russia, along with the Holy See and the European Parliament, have formally recognized the genocide.

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Recognizing the genocide perpetrated against the Armenian people in the final years of the Ottoman Empire is both a moral and historical duty. We must also firmly condemn any denial, minimization, or distortion of the historical truth.