Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has branded Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan a “dictator antisemit” on Friday, promising that Israel would respond to Turkey’s efforts to destabilize the region. This declaration came shortly after Turkey issued an international arrest warrant for Netanyahu in connection with an investigation into Israel’s interception of the Gaza Flotilla.
Netanyahu stated, “Erdogan is an antisemitic dictator who has massacred Kurds, supported the massacre carried out by the terrorist organization Hamas, and oppresses his own people.” He described the arrest warrant as a “pathetic attempt to intimidate Israeli leaders and soldiers.”
The Israeli PM further claimed that Erdogan is attempting to escalate aggression against Israel in Syria, asserting that Israel “will not tolerate this” and will continue to act decisively against Turkey’s destabilizing actions.
This comment references an alleged Turkish plan to deploy troops at a military airport in Idlib, northwestern Syria, which prompted Israel to bomb the airport on August 19. Both Turkey and Syria have denied any such troop deployment.
Earlier on Friday, Turkey issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and an Israeli soldier, Afek Moskovici, as part of an inquiry into Israel’s interception of the May Gaza Flotilla and the detention of the activists aboard.
Approximately 430 activists from the “Global Sumud Flotilla,” which translates to “resistance” in Arabic, set sail from Turkey aboard about 50 vessels, aiming to break the Israeli blockade of Gaza and draw attention to the humanitarian situation in the Palestinian enclave that has been ravaged by war for over two years.
After the Israeli military intercepted the flotilla, the activists were forcibly taken to Israel and held at Ktziot prison in the south of the country before being expelled.
