'Clear call for genocide': Sa'ar speaks out after Turkish foreign minister's antisemitic interview

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Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar has condemned Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan's recent remarks about Israel, calling them a "clear call for genocide" and urging NATO allies to speak out. The rebuke came after Fidan, in a July 2 interview with CNN Türk, said that Israel had "become a burden that humanity can no longer bear" and described the country as "a problem for the entire world," according to multiple reports.

Sa'ar's comments were made during a meeting with Rwanda's Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Olivier Nduhungirehe, in Jerusalem on Monday, as reported by the Jerusalem Post. The two ministers issued a joint statement to the media, in which Sa'ar directly addressed Fidan's remarks.

"The Jewish people know very well what happens when such words are allowed to go unchallenged," Sa'ar said. "The first step on the road to genocide is dehumanization." He added that describing Israel as a burden "is the classic language of the great oppressors in history," and called on "the enlightened world and Turkey's NATO allies" to "unequivocally condemn this explicit call for Israel's destruction."

Coverage Comparison

The exchange has drawn international attention, with coverage from Fox News and the Jerusalem Post highlighting different aspects of the story. Fox News focused on the broader context of rising anti-Israel sentiment in Turkey, including past comments by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and a Pew Research poll showing Turkey with the highest level of anti-Israel sentiment among polled countries, with 91 percent of the population holding "very unfavorable" views of Israel.

The Jerusalem Post, in two separate reports, emphasized the diplomatic response, particularly the condemnation from German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul. Wadephul said that "the recent statements by the Turkish foreign minister against Israel are clearly unacceptable," and affirmed that "Israel faces an ongoing threat in the region, and it has the right and duty to defend its citizens." The reports also noted that Wadephul is scheduled to visit Israel on Tuesday and meet with Sa'ar before continuing to a NATO meeting.

Both outlets reported Sa'ar's characterization of Fidan's remarks, with Fox News quoting his statement that "the Jewish people know very well what happens when such words are allowed to go unchallenged." The Jerusalem Post also noted that Sa'ar had previously responded to Fidan on social media, labeling the interview as "textbook incitement to genocide" reminiscent of "history's worst eliminationist regimes."

Key Claims

• Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, in a July 2 interview with CNN Türk, said that Israel has "become a burden that humanity can no longer bear" and called on other countries to increase diplomatic pressure and impose sanctions against Israel, as reported by multiple sources.
• Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar condemned Fidan's remarks as a "clear call for genocide," arguing that describing Israel as a burden constitutes dehumanization and uses language associated with history's "great oppressors," according to both Fox News and the Jerusalem Post.
• German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul condemned Fidan's remarks as "clearly unacceptable," stating that Israel has the right and duty to defend its citizens, as reported by the Jerusalem Post.
• Wadephul is scheduled to visit Israel and meet with Sa'ar, according to the Jerusalem Post.
• Relations between Turkey and Israel are tense, with recent friction including Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warning the US against providing F-35 fighter jets to Turkey and citing Turkey's support for Hamas, as reported by the Jerusalem Post.
• Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has previously made anti-Israel comments, including calling Israelis "murderers" and accusing Israel of being "a terror state that feeds on the blood, lives and tears of the innocent," as reported by Fox News.
• A Pew Research poll found that Turkey had the highest level of anti-Israel sentiment of any polled country, with 91 percent of the population holding "very unfavorable" views on Israel, according to Fox News.