Israel Joins 32 Nations in Affirming the Armenian Genocide

Washington, D.C. - The Armenian Assembly of America welcomes the Israeli government’s decision to formally recognize the Armenian Genocide, joining 32 nations in affirming the first genocide of the twentieth century.

The decision marks a significant and long-overdue affirmation of historical truth. Raphael Lemkin, who coined the term genocide, cited the Armenian Genocide, together with the Holocaust, as a defining prototype of the crime.

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar, who advanced the recognition, called it “both a moral and historical duty,” adding that “we must also firmly condemn any denial, minimization, or distortion of the historical truth.”

The importance of recognition is underscored by Adolf Hitler’s chilling words, “Who, after all, remembers the annihilation of the Armenians?”—displayed today at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C.—serving as a lasting reminder that denial and impunity embolden perpetrators of atrocities.

The historical record is unequivocal. More than 126 Holocaust scholars have affirmed the Armenian Genocide, as has the United States Congress. U.S. Ambassador to the Ottoman Empire Henry Morgenthau warned the State Department in 1915 that “a campaign of race extermination is in progress,” while Major General James G. Harbord, in a contemporaneous report prepared while aboard the USS Martha Washington, described the systematic destruction of the Armenian people as a “colossal crime of all the ages.”

The Armenian Assembly extends its appreciation to all those in Israel who worked over many years to advance this historic decision. Israel’s recognition strengthens the international commitment to truth, justice, and the prevention of genocide.

Although the Armenian community in Jerusalem has encountered pressures in recent years threatening to destabilize its millennial presence in the ancient city, Israel's Foreign Minister reported that he “received a letter of appreciation from the Armenian Church and the Armenian community in Jerusalem.” The Assembly also urges the Israeli government to ensure the sanctity of the historic Armenian quarter and honor the rights of the Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem.

As the international community continues to affirm the historical reality of the Armenian Genocide, Turkey and Azerbaijan stand increasingly isolated in their ongoing denial and continued genocidal campaign against the Armenian people. Recognition of historical truth is indispensable to justice, reconciliation, regional stability, and the prevention of future genocides.

Established in 1972, the Armenian Assembly of America is the largest Washington-based nationwide organization promoting public understanding and awareness of Armenian issues. The Assembly is a strictly non-partisan, 501(c)(3) tax-exempt membership organization.

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NR # 2026-21