Netanyahu accused of hypocrisy for recognising Armenian genocide in a podcast

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's recognition of the Armenian genocide on Tuesday during an interview with right-wing media personality Patrick Bet David has led people online to accuse Netanyahu of being “hypocritical”.

Bet David asked Netanyahu on his PBD podcast why Israel had yet to recognise the killings that wiped out most of Turkey's Christian population. Netanyahu answered that he accepted the Ottoman Empire's killing of more than 1.5 million Armenians, as well as hundreds of thousands of Assyrians and Greeks, during World War I as genocide. 

"In fact, I think we have. I think the Knesset passed a resolution to that effect," Netanyahu responded, possibly referring to MPs on the Knesset Education, Culture and Sports Committee issuing a resolution that recognised the genocide in 2016, according to what many on social media said.

When asked by Bet David if he recognises the Armenian genocide himself, Netanyahu said, “I just did.”

The Israeli government did not adopt the resolution, however, and the parliament did not pass it.

The interaction received widespread condemnation online by many who suggested that Netanyahu is “hypocritical” to talk about the Armenian genocide when his own country is committing genocide in Gaza right now. 

Many Armenians online expressed their anger at Netanyahu for using the Armenian genocide as “cover” to “whitewash Israel’s atrocities in Gaza” and to “avoid accountability for Israel's role in arming Azerbaijan's ethnic cleansing of Artsakh”.

If Netanyahu wants to truly recognize the Armenian Genocide — he can stop selling weapons to Azerbaijan to ethnically cleanse Armenians. Until then, as he continues to starve and kill kids in Gaza, it’s all hollow.

— Gev Iskajyan (@geviskajyan) August 27, 2025

Many also noted that Israel “has not passed a full Knesset resolution officially recognising the Armenian genocide”, adding that Israel “helped Azerbaijan carry out ethnic cleansing of Armenians”. 

Netanyahu’s recognition of the Armenian genocide seemed like “geographical opportunism” to many social media users, while his acceptance of it with simple words such as “I just did” seemed very “unserious” to them. 

This is extremely unserious — Israel does not recognize the Armenian genocide, and that is a well-known fact. For Netanyahu to simply say “I just did” and face no pushback from the interviewer is laughable. https://t.co/1sBAi7iYnd

— Khalil Sayegh (@KhalilJeries) August 27, 2025

Meanwhile, Turkey’s foreign ministry issued a statement about Netanyahu’s comments, saying it was an “attempt to exploit past tragedies for political purposes”.

The statement further read, “Currently on trial for his role in the genocide committed against the Palestinian people, Netanyahu is seeking to cover up the crimes committed by himself and his government. We condemn and reject this declaration, which is inconsistent with historical and legal realities.”

On Turkish social media, many expressed anger at Netanyahu for speaking about the Armenian genocide while Israel’s devastating war on Gaza rages on. Conservative estimates say over 62,000 Palestinians have been killed so far.

One person from Turkey said, “Israel, which kills everyone in Gaza regardless of whether they are women or children, does not hesitate to slander the Turkish nation either!”

İsrail Başbakanı Netanyahu Ermeni Soykırım Yalanını tanıyacaklarını açıkladı!

Bu ne küstahlık!

Suriye’de etnik bölücüleri destekleyen, savaş boyunca IŞİD gibi terör örgütlerini dolaylı ve bazen de direk destekleyen,

Gazze’de kadın, çocuk demeden her insanı öldüren İsrail; Türk… pic.twitter.com/1e1dWHo8Ky

— 🇹🇷 Deniz Büstani دنيز بستاني (@DenizBustani) August 26, 2025

Many online said that the relevant authorities should take Netanyahu's words seriously because his actions have “direct consequences”. But another said, “It is hard for me to take this war criminal seriously.”

Netanyahu, canlı yayında sözde Ermeni, Asuri ve Rum soykırımını İsrail devleti adına resmen tanıdı.

Benim bu savaş suçlusu kişiyi ciddiye almam zor.

Ancak kendisi bir devlet yönetiyor, dolayısıyla eylemlerinin pratik sonuçları var.

Sözleri piyasaları, diplomasiyi,… pic.twitter.com/12x1DtdJGK

— Idil Saguner (@idilsaguner) August 27, 2025

Another Turkish social media user said Netanyahu had murdered thousands of civilians in Gaza, so he should not “teach us about history”. They added that “Turkey will continue to fight to ensure that you and your criminal network are held accountable before justice”, a sentiment shared by many online.

Israel has consistently declined to recognise the 1915–1917 massacres in what is now modern-day Turkey, a stance that aligns with the position taken by successive Turkish governments.

Ankara acknowledges that atrocities were committed against Armenians during World War I, but maintains the deaths were not the result of a coordinated campaign and therefore do not constitute genocide.

To date, the governments and parliaments of 34 countries - including the United States - have officially recognised the events as genocide, while several of Turkey’s close allies, such as the United Kingdom, Pakistan, and Azerbaijan, have either refrained from recognition or explicitly rejected the genocide designation.

To date, Netanyahu, whose own war in the Gaza Strip since October 2023 has been recognised as genocide by multiple human rights groups and scholars worldwide, has increasingly clashed with the Turkish government over the killing of tens of thousands of Palestinians.