Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned at a Cabinet meeting today that Israel takes Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s statements against the Jewish state very seriously and will draw America’s attention to this matter.
The prime minister was quoted as saying, “Hardly a day goes by when Erdogan doesn’t talk about destroying the state of Israel. We take these things very seriously, because if we have learned anything from the history of our people, it is that when someone says he wants to destroy you, you should take it seriously.”
‘Will also draw the attention of American friends’
“We will also draw the attention of our American friends to these statements. We are not ignoring them,” Netanyahu told his cabinet colleagues.
Let us tell you that Erdogan and other senior Turkish officials have recently intensified threats against Jerusalem. Türkiye’s interior minister earlier this month called on the country to liberate Jerusalem.
Erdogan has been one of the harshest critics of Israel from foreign leaders since the war began with a Hamas-led attack on October 7, 2023. He has accused Israel of genocide in Gaza, welcomed the ICC arrest warrants against Israeli leaders and asked the United Nations to recommend the use of force against Israel.
Erdogan prayed to destroy Israel
Some Western and Israeli media outlets reported that Erdogan prayed for God to destroy Israel during a prayer service marking the conclusion of Ramadan in March 2025. He said, “Allah, destroy and destroy Zionist Israel for the sake of your name.”
US President Donald Trump, who often praises Erdogan, suggested last week that Erdogan might join Tehran in supporting a US-Israeli war against Iran because he does not like Israel. However, Turkey had shown no readiness to join this conflict.
The same day Trump indicated he was preparing to sell arms to Turkey, including F-35 stealth fighter jets and dozens of jet engines, ahead of the upcoming NATO summit there, a prospect that has raised concerns in Jerusalem for months.
Also read: Plane crashes in France, 11 dead reported