ALBAWABA- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has described Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan as an “antisemitic dictator,” escalating a bitter war of words between the two leaders amid widening regional tensions.
In a post on X on Wednesday, Netanyahu rejected Erdogan’s criticism of Israel’s military operations, accusing the Turkish leader of hypocrisy and moral posturing.
He wrote that Erdogan is “the last person who can lecture the State of Israel on morality,” alleging that the Turkish president “is committing genocide against the Kurds, supports the Hamas terrorist organization, oppresses his own people and imprisons political rivals.”
Netanyahu added that Israel and the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) would “continue to take forceful action against Iran and its proxies,” which he said threaten regional and global security. He also repeated the statement in Hebrew, reinforcing his message domestically.
The exchange followed remarks by Erdogan in the Turkish parliament, where he warned that Israeli military operations in Lebanon and Syria risked spilling over and threatening Turkey itself. Erdogan accused Israel of “aggression” that endangers regional stability and called for international intervention to restrain Israeli actions, describing them as a threat to global order.
The Turkish president further claimed that Israel’s regional policies extended beyond the Middle East, alleging destabilizing activity in areas including the Eastern Mediterranean and Cyprus, and warned that Ankara would respond firmly to any infringement on its interests.
Erdogan has long been one of Israel’s most outspoken critics, previously equating Zionism with crimes against humanity, a remark that drew strong condemnation from Israel and Western allies. Since the outbreak of the Gaza war after October 7, 2023, his rhetoric has intensified, with repeated accusations of “genocide,” suspension of trade ties with Israel, and public support for international legal action against Israeli leaders.
Relations between the two countries, already strained by historical disputes and regional rivalry, have deteriorated further amid parallel conflicts involving Iran, Hezbollah, and other regional actors. While diplomatic channels remain formally open, the latest exchange underscores a deepening personal and political rift between Netanyahu and Erdogan as tensions across the Middle East continue to escalate.
