Critics say Turkey's verbal attacks on Israel have crossed into antisemitism

As Iran, Russia’s warfare with Ukraine and NATO’s defence spending predominate the organization's acme successful Ankara — 1 contented that has escaped the media glare is the progressively antisemitic rhetoric coming from Turkish leaders.

As relations betwixt Turkey and Israel proceed to deed caller lows, a warfare of words betwixt the 2 nations has erupted.

In a July 2 interrogation with CNN Türk, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said that Israel has "become a load that humanity tin nary longer bear," the Jerusalem Post reported. Fidan besides said that Israel is typical of "humanity’s communal problems," and asked different countries to use unit to the Jewish State, according to Israel National News.

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Anti-Israel protesters rally successful Istanbul, Turkey, connected Feb. 17, 2024, implicit the ongoing warfare betwixt Israel and Hamas. (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra)

In a property statement, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar called Fidan’s words "a wide telephone for genocide. The Jewish radical cognize precise good what happens erstwhile specified words are allowed to spell unchallenged. The archetypal measurement connected the roadworthy to genocide is dehumanization.

"This is simply a condemnation that sounds precise acquainted to sentences from astir 100 years ago," Sa’ar added. "To talk astir a radical arsenic a ‘problem for humanity.’ What bash you bash with a ‘burden that you tin nary longer bear?’" helium asked.

Sinan Ciddi, a elder chap astatine the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and manager of FDD’s Turkey program, told Fox News Digital that Fidan’s connection was "some of the vilest rhetoric to travel retired of immoderate statesman since the Holocaust."

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan speaks during a rally successful solidarity with Palestinians successful Gaza, amid the ongoing struggle betwixt Israel and the Palestinian Islamist radical Hamas, successful Istanbul, Turkey October 28, 2023.  (Dilara Senkaya/Reuters)

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Ciddi said that escalated anti-Israel rhetoric successful Turkey "goes each the mode backmost to 2008" erstwhile President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan "began the process of ripping isolated the bilateral narration betwixt Israel and Turkey. But aft Oct. 7, it conscionable went into overdrive," helium said. "I person ne'er heard immoderate Arab person utter the words that Foreign Minister Fidan has said."

Yet Erdogan has condemned antisemitism; the Turkish Minute reported that helium told Turkish spiritual number representatives astatine an Ankara meal successful March that "just arsenic Islamophobia is simply a transgression against humanity, antisemitism is besides a crime, an evil that cannot beryllium considered tenable oregon legitimate."

Yet contempt his caller condemnation, helium and different ministers person continued with their rhetoric against the Jewish state.

In June, Turkish Interior Minister Mustafa Ҁiftҁi said that the satellite would "witness the liberation of Jerusalem," according to the Times of Israel.

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In May 2021, the Times of Israel reported that Erdoğan called Israelis "murderers," claiming they were 'only satisfied by sucking their [victims’] blood." At the time, the State Department spokesperson issued a beardown condemnation of Erdoğan’s "anti-Semitic comments regarding the Jewish people," calling them "reprehensible."

In May 2025, Erdoğan invoked akin language, accusing Israel of being "a panic authorities that feeds connected the blood, lives and tears of the innocent," Israel National News reported.

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar (R) and Israeli Ambassador to the U.N. Danny Danon (L) talk to journalists up of a United Nations Security Council gathering astatine U.N. office connected August 5, 2025 successful New York (Photo by ANGELA WEISS / AFP) (Photo by ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty Images)

Anti-Israel sentiment successful Turkey has infiltrated acold beyond leadership. A Pew Research canvass from June recovered that Turkey had the highest level of anti-Israel sentiment of immoderate polled country, with 91 percent of the colonisation holding "very unfavorable" views connected Israel, 6% holding an "unfavorable" view, and conscionable 1% expressing immoderate favour of Israel.

In effect to questions astir whether the State Department plans to respond to antisemitic statements from Turkish leadership, a spokesperson told Fox News Digital that "Türkiye is simply a longstanding and valued NATO Ally and we proceed to prosecute connected each aspects of our important and multi-faceted relationship."

Ciddi said determination are "numerous channels" for the State Department and Trump medication to reprimand Turkey for its unchecked hatred. "The president could evidently propulsion speech a Turkish counterpart and request an apology," helium explained, portion the State Department could code the comments oregon spot Turkey connected a watchlist.

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The Hague, Netherlands - In photos, NATO leaders enactment successful the acme successful The Hague, Netherlands, connected June 25, 2025. NATO countries pledged to summation their defence spending to 5% of GDP by 2035, arsenic demanded by U.S. President Donald Trump. The summit's last declaration states that countries volition put "at slightest 3.5%" of their GDP annually successful subject capabilities and an further 1.5% successful protecting captious infrastructure. (Handout / Latin America News Agency via Reuters Connect)

As the two-day NATO acme winds down successful Ankara, Ciddi said that Turkey "is going to effort and overshadow thing else" and "promote itself arsenic the benignant of premiere NATO ally, truthful we request to ticker retired for Turkey’s whitewashing of its quality rights record." Ciddi warned that "We cannot safeguard our allies’ antiauthoritarian norms, rights and practices if we don’t clasp subordinate states similar Turkey accountable for the threats that it presents."

The Turkish Embassy successful Washington, D.C. did not respond to Fox News Digital’s petition for comment.