Turkey’s Foreign Ministry compares Netanyahu to Hitler

(JNS) Turkey’s Foreign Ministry on Sunday compared Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to Nazi leader Adolf Hitler, hours after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan threatened a military invasion of the Jewish state.

ארדואן הולך בדרכו של סדאם חוסיין ומאיים לתקוף את ישראל. רק שיזכור מה קרה שם ואיך זה הסתיים.@RTErdogan pic.twitter.com/6GykLtLoh4

— ישראל כ”ץ Israel Katz (@Israel_katz) July 28, 2024

“The end of the genocidal Hitler will be the same as the end of the genocidal Netanyahu. Just as the genocidal Nazis were held accountable, so will those who try to destroy the Palestinians. Humanity will stand by the Palestinians. You will not be able to destroy the Palestinians,” the Foreign Ministry tweeted.

Comparing Israel to the Nazis is antisemitic according to the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s (IHRA) Working Definition of Antisemitism, which has been adopted by more than a thousand global entities, including over 40 United Nations member states, since the IHRA adopted the language in 2016.

“We must be very strong so that Israel can’t do these ridiculous things to Palestine. Just like we entered Karabakh, just like we entered Libya, we might do similar to them,” Erdoğan said in a televised address, per Reuters.

“There is no reason why we cannot do this,” he added. “We must be strong so that we can take these steps.”

“In 2020, Turkey sent military personnel to Libya in support of the United Nations-recognized Government of National Accord of Libya,” he said according to the report. “Turkey has denied any direct role in Azerbaijan’s military operations in Nagorno-Karabakh, but said last year it was using ‘all means,’ including military training and modernization, to support its close ally.”

Turkey’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan tweeted praise for Erdoğan on Sunday following his remarks.

“Our President has become the voice of humanity’s conscience. International Zionist circles, especially Israel, who want to suppress this rightful voice are in a great panic. History has ended the same way for all genocidal people and their supporters,” wrote Fidan.

Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz warned Erdoğan in Hebrew to watch his step.

“Erdoğan follows in the footsteps of Saddam Hussein and threatens to attack Israel,” Katz wrote. “Just let him remember what happened there and how it ended.”

Yair Lapid, the Israeli opposition leader, wrote that the Turkish president “is ranting and raving again” and “is a danger to the Middle East.”

“The world, and especially NATO members, must strongly condemn his outrageous threats against Israel and force him to end his support for Hamas,” Lapid said. “We won’t accept threats from a wannabe dictator.”

“Islamofascist Erdoğan threatens to invade Israel. This guy is totally nuts,” wrote the Dutch politician Geert Wilders. “Turkey should be kicked out of NATO.”

Abraham Foxman, Anti-Defamation League director emeritus, wrote that “Erdoğan of Turkey, a member of NATO, is threatening the State of Israel with a military attack! Where is the outrage and condemnation from the United States—and all our NATO allies?”