Israel has officially recognized the Armenian genocide of 1915–1916 in the Ottoman Empire. The government approved the resolution on Sunday. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing The Jerusalem Post.
The decision was announced by Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar. According to him, the initiative was submitted by him earlier and received government support.
"This horrific genocide, which took place more than 100 years ago and about which there is no real dispute over historical facts, included the murder of 1.5 million people and the destruction of ancient cultural and historical heritage," Saar said after the vote.
He emphasized that recognizing the Armenian genocide is a moral and historical duty of the country.
The Armenian genocide refers to the mass killings and deportations of the Armenian population of the Ottoman Empire during World War I in 1915–1916. According to various estimates, between 600,000 and 1.5 million people died.
Turkey acknowledges the mass deaths of Armenians but rejects the term "genocide," claiming that casualties occurred on both sides amid war and internal conflict.
To date, more than 30 UN member states, including Russia, the United States, Germany, and Canada, have recognized the Armenian genocide. The European Parliament also adopted a resolution, and the Vatican expressed recognition.