"We take it very seriously": Netanyahu says he will raise Erdogan's anti-Israel rhetoric with Washington

According to a report by The Times of Israel, Netanyahu emphasised the gravity of the regular threats emanating from Ankara, noting that Israel cannot afford to overlook such explicit hostility.

Addressing a cabinet session on Sunday, Netanyahu stated, "Hardly a day goes by without Erdogan calling for the destruction of the State of Israel. We take those words very seriously, because if there is one thing we have learned from the history of our people, it is that when someone says they intend to destroy you, you should take them seriously."

The Israeli Prime Minister further noted that Tel Aviv would engage Washington on the issue, saying, "We will also draw the attention of our American friends to these remarks. We are not ignoring them."

The latest friction comes amid a sharp escalation in tensions between Israel and Turkey since the outbreak of the Gaza conflict, which was triggered by the Hamas-led October 7, 2023, assault. Erdogan has positioned himself as one of Israel's fiercest detractors on the global stage, routinely levelling accusations of genocide in Gaza and throwing his weight behind international legal proceedings targeting the Israeli leadership.

The rhetoric from Turkish officials has grown increasingly aggressive in recent weeks, featuring public calls to "liberate" Jerusalem, which has placed immense strain on an already fragile bilateral relationship.

This escalating diplomatic dispute was further underscored by targeted political manoeuvres on Sunday, when the Israeli cabinet gave unanimous backing to a resolution to recognise the mass killings of Armenians under the Ottoman Empire during the First World War as genocide. The move is widely perceived as a deliberate diplomatic counter-strike against Ankara.

Bilateral relations between the two nations, which historically operated as close regional allies, have faced a severe breakdown since the eruption of hostilities in Gaza.

Ankara has frozen the bulk of its commercial trade operations with Tel Aviv and has openly aligned itself as a staunch diplomatic backer of Hamas. Conversely, Israel has repeatedly slammed Erdogan for maintaining a hostile posture and relying on highly inflammatory rhetoric.

The formal designation of the Armenian genocide has historically remained a highly sensitive geopolitical fault line. Previous Israeli administrations consistently steered clear of formal recognition to protect strategic ties with Turkey.

Ankara vehemently opposes the genocide classification, arguing that the casualties suffered during the First World War occurred within the broader context of wartime losses rather than as part of a systematic extermination campaign. (ANI)