CivilNetCheck
By Hayk Hovhannisyan
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated he recognizes the Armenian Genocide in a podcast interview, but incorrectly claimed Israel's parliament had already passed a resolution on the matter. Israel's Knesset (parliament) has never officially recognized the 1915 killings of Armenians by Ottoman Turks as genocide.
CLAIM: In an August 26 interview with American podcaster Patrick Bet-David, Netanyahu said: "Actually, I think we have recognized it because I think the Knesset passed a resolution to that effect."
FINDING: False. The Israeli parliament has never passed legislation or a binding resolution recognizing the Armenian Genocide.
EVIDENCE: The Knesset held its first open parliamentary hearings on the Armenian Genocide on December 26, 2011, but adopted no resolution or statement. The only substantive action occurred on August 1, 2016, when the Knesset's Education, Culture and Sports Committee recognized the genocide and called on the government and parliament speaker to follow suit. However, committee statements carry no binding force and do not represent the Knesset's official position.
Multiple attempts to pass recognition legislation have failed due to opposition from Netanyahu's government. On February 14, 2018, a bill introduced by the opposition Yesh Atid party was rejected in preliminary voting. While the Knesset later approved debate on the issue in plenary session, a vote scheduled for June 2018 was postponed and ultimately canceled due to lack of government support. Another legislative initiative submitted by opposition lawmakers on November 9, 2021, to recognize the genocide and establish April 24 as a commemoration day, also failed to pass.
CONTEXT: Israel has long avoided officially recognizing the Armenian Genocide, fearing damage to relations with Turkey, which categorically denies the Ottoman Empire committed genocide against Armenians, Assyrians, and Greeks during World War I. Currently, 34 countries have officially recognized the Armenian Genocide. In the United States, both houses of Congress recognized it in 2019, followed by President Joe Biden's official proclamation in 2021.
Netanyahu's statement comes amid deteriorating Israeli-Turkish relations following the Gaza war. In May 2024, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced the suspension of trade relations with Israel, accusing it of committing genocide in Gaza. The timing also follows Armenia's official recognition of the State of Palestine in June 2024.
Dr. Arman Khachatryan, a researcher at the Armenian Genocide Museum-Institute and Ben-Gurion University, told #CivilNetCheck that Netanyahu's statement in a journalist interview cannot be considered official state recognition. "Official recognition of genocide requires a special procedure. It must pass through the country's highest legal or political institutions. Since Israel is a parliamentary country, the bill must be discussed and adopted by vote in the Knesset. Only then can we say Israel has officially recognized the Armenian Genocide," Khachatryan said, confirming that contrary to Netanyahu's claim, the Knesset has never passed such a resolution.
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