Israel Officially Recognizes Armenian Genocide More Than a Century After the Mass Killings

The Israeli government voted on Sunday to formally recognize the Armenian Genocide — a historic shift in Israel's official position more than a century after the mass killings of Armenians in the Ottoman Empire.

The decision came after a resolution introduced by Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar, who described the move as both a moral and historical obligation.

"The Israeli government approved a short time ago the resolution I presented to it recognizing the Armenian genocide," Sa'ar said after the vote. "It's never too late to do the right thing."

He described the Armenian Genocide as "a horrific genocide" that claimed the lives of 1.5 million Armenians and led to the destruction of an ancient cultural and historical heritage.

"This horrific genocide, which took place more than 100 years ago and regarding which there is no real dispute over the historical facts, included the murder of 1.5 million people and the destruction of an ancient cultural and historical heritage," Sa'ar said.

"In my view, it is our moral duty as Jews—and certainly as the state of the Jewish people—to make the decision we made today. I would like to thank Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for his backing, and my fellow government ministers for their support," he added.

The resolution states that Israel, "on the basis of moral and historical duty," recognizes the genocide committed against the Armenian people during the final years of the Ottoman Empire. It also calls for condemning any denial, minimization, or distortion of the historical truth surrounding the events.

Israel's recognition represents a significant diplomatic and symbolic milestone, as successive Israeli governments had long refrained from officially recognizing the Armenian Genocide despite repeated calls from lawmakers, historians, and human rights advocates.

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