Israel moves to formally recognize Armenian WWI deaths as a genocide

Here is the latest breaking news from around the world: World Israel moves to formally recognize Armenian WWI deaths as a genocide June 29, 20263:04 AM ET By The Associated Press FILE - Armenians hold their national flag during a ceremony to commemorate the mass killings of Armenians by the Ottoman Empire, in Jerusalem, Israel, Friday, April 24, 2015. Oded Balilty/AP hide caption toggle caption Oded Balilty/AP TEL AVIV, Israel — Israel's Cabinet unanimously approved a proposal on Sunday to designate violence against Armenians by the Ottoman Empire during World War I as a genocide. The step, which still needs approval in Parliament, reflects deteriorating ties between Israel and Turkey.

Turkey has fiercely lobbied to prevent countries from officially recognizing the mass deaths of Armenians around 1915 as a genocide, even as Armenians have pushed for it. Historians estimate that up to 1. 5 million Armenians were killed by Ottoman Turks around the time of World War I, an event widely viewed by scholars as the first genocide of the 20th century.

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Turkey denies that the deaths constituted genocide, saying the toll has been inflated and that those killed were victims of civil war and unrest. Sponsor Message For years, Israel never officially broached the subject for fear of angering Turkey, but that relationship has soured over the past two decades, especially as the most recent wars in Gaza, Lebanon and Iran have dragged on. "Despite the extensive and unambiguous historical documentation, the Armenian Genocide remains to this day the subject of an institutionalized campaign of denial and minimization, including a manipulative rewriting of history, mainly by the Turkish government," said Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar, who brought the decision to the government.

He noted that Israeli leaders, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, have previously described the violence against Armenians as a genocide. But it has never been formally recognized in a vote by Israel's Knesset. "It is never too late to do the right thing," Saar said Sunday, calling it a "moral and historical duty.

" He noted that 32 countries, including the United States, Syria and Lebanon, have also classified the violence as a genocide. It was not immediately known when Sunday's decision, approved unanimously by Israel's Cabinet, would go to the parliament for approval. Politics Biden Calls Slaughter Of Armenians A Genocide, Posing Test For U.

Ties With Turkey Turkey called Israel's move a "politically motivated" step meant to distract from the country's own actions against Palestinians. "The Israeli government, which systematically persecutes the Palestinian people in full view of the world and is being tried at the International Court of Justice for genocide against the people of Gaza, aims to cover up its own crimes," the Turkish Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

The development has drawn wide international attention, with diplomatic circles watching closely.