Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has for the first time publicly recognised the genocides of the Armenians, Greeks, and Assyrians at the hands of the Ottoman Empire during World War I – a move that is expected to reverberate strongly in Athens and Nicosia.

After years of avoiding the issue to preserve ties with Ankara, Netanyahu made the statement during an interview with American podcaster Patrick Bet-David. Asked why Israel had not recognized what historians describe as a systematic campaign to annihilate Armenians, Pontic Greeks, and Assyrians, Netanyahu responded bluntly: “Yeah, I just did, here you go.”

He added that the Israeli parliament, the Knesset, had already passed a resolution to that effect, but emphasised his personal endorsement.

Recognition of Pontic Greek Genocide

While the Armenian genocide has long been at the forefront of international debate, Netanyahu’s comments explicitly included the Pontic Greek genocide. Between 1914 and 1923, hundreds of thousands of Greeks of Pontus and Asia Minor were killed, deported, or forced into death marches in what scholars widely regard as an ethnic cleansing campaign to rid Anatolia of its Christian populations.

The acknowledgment is likely to be welcomed by Greek communities worldwide, including the diaspora in Australia, where the recognition of the genocide of Greeks in Asia Minor has been a long-standing cause.

Cyprus context

Netanyahu’s remarks come at a time when Israel–Turkey relations are already strained due to the Gaza war. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has threatened to cut trade ties and imposed restrictions on Israel.

For Greek and Cypriot observers, Netanyahu’s recognition may also resonate against the backdrop of Turkey’s ongoing occupation of northern Cyprus since 1974, another enduring flashpoint in Ankara’s relations with the wider region.

Historians estimate that around 1–1.5 million Armenians, along with hundreds of thousands of Pontic Greeks and Assyrians, were systematically killed between 1915–1923. Many scholars view these atrocities as part of the same Ottoman policy of Christian extermination.

Around 30 countries officially recognise the genocides, including Greece and Cyprus. The European Union and Pope Francis have also declared them as such.

Earlier this year, Haifa hosted a ceremony marking 110 years since the genocide, underscoring the importance of remembrance within Israel itself.