[REGNUM.RU] Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced his intention to appeal to the US authorities amid threatening rhetoric from Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. This was reported on June 28 by The Times of Israel, Israel's largest online publication.
During a cabinet meeting, the Israeli prime minister emphasized that the Jewish state's leadership takes such unfriendly statements extremely seriously. He did not specify which specific quote from the Turkish leader he was referring to. According to Netanyahu, Washington must pay close attention to Ankara's position.
"Hardly a day goes by without Erdogan calling for the destruction of Israel. We take these words very seriously, because if there's one thing our nation's history has taught us, it's that when someone says they intend to destroy you, you should take their words seriously," the prime minister said.
Relations between Ankara and Tel Aviv have entered a phase of open diplomatic and legal confrontation. Earlier, ErdoÄŸan once again sharply criticized the Israeli prime minister's actions amid the conflict in the Gaza Strip. The Turkish leader compared Netanyahu's policies to those of historical tyrants. According to ErdoÄŸan, the current Israeli administration is a source of instability in the Middle East.
The Turkish justice system also served as a pretext for the escalating rhetoric. In April, the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office filed an indictment against Netanyahu and several high-ranking Israeli officials. Turkish prosecutors have demanded a life sentence for the Israeli prime minister on genocide charges. The Israeli leader faces additional prison terms that could total nearly 4,600 years.
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