In August, 2025, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated the long known but rarely acknowledged fact: “During WW I, Turkey committed genocide against Armenians, Assyrians, and Greeks, killing roughly 1.5 million Armenians, and another 1.5 million Assyrians and Greeks,” (Israel HaYom, here).
Why now? Why not in earlier?
Politics. Turkey was an ally of Israel. Turkey is a member of NATO. But today Erdogoon has what Netanyahu sees as delusions of grandeur. And with Qatar, Turkey funds, supports, snd trains Hamas. It is part of the axis of the “Muslim Brotherhood.”
On December 22, 2025, Israel, Greece, and Cyprus announced a joint exercises in the eastern Mediterranean. Flanked by Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said, “those who fantasize they can reestablish their empires and their dominion over our lands” should “forget it.” (Times of Israel, here, and Popular Logistics, here). Obviously, he was talking to Erdogoon.
Erdogan and other senior Turkish officials have ramped up threats against Jerusalem recently, with Turkey’s interior minister calling earlier this month for the country to ‘liberate’ Jerusalem. Some Western and Israeli outlets reported that Erdogan called for God to destroy Israel during a prayer service marking the end of Ramadan in March 2025, saying: ‘May Allah, for the sake of his name… destroy and devastate Zionist Israel.'”
More recently, according to Times of Israel, here, “Netanyahu says Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan should ‘calm down’ in the face of his increasingly hostile rhetoric toward Israel.
Israel may be outnumbered almost 10 to 1 by Turkey. But Israel is outnumbered 10 to 1 by Iran. Israel has control over Syrian air space, and can reach Iran.
Obviously, Israel won’t attack Turkey – it’s a part of NATO. But will Turkey attack Israel? Israel is not a member of NATO. But Israel sells NATO advanced weapons systems, information technology, and medical technology.
Netanyahu has what the Jews call “Chutzpah.” Erdogoon has what the Greeks call “Hubris.” Chutzpah is pride in knowing what one can do. Hubris is pride in believing what one can do. When it’s chutzpah v hubris, chutzpah wins.
