Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has doubled down on accusing Israel of war crimes, saying Netanyahu should be tried as a war criminal in remarks sure to increase friction within the NATO bloc of which Turkey is a key member.
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is a “war criminal” and the “butcher of Gaza” who should be tried for crimes, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Monday morning in remarks to the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) meeting in Istanbul. Turkish government-funded wire service Anadolu Agency reports the Turkish strongman, who has led the nation as Prime Minister and then President for 20 years told the assembly that “Israel is not only a murderer but also a thief”.
Accusing Israel of attempting to occupy Gaza, Erdogan said: “We cannot let Israel occupy Gaza once again… Gaza is a Palestinian territory. Gaza belongs to Palestinians and it will remain so forever.”
The Jerusalem Post reports Erdogan claimed Israel’s counter-attack against Hamas following the October terror attacks meant that “Gaza butcher Netanyahu revealed he has expansionist ideals”, and “those who invade Gaza will seek other places tomorrow.”
The comments are in line with Erdogan’s usual rhetoric for Israel-Palestine, but that doesn’t make it any easier for the NATO alliance, which under American leadership has generally stood firmly behind Israel in the wake of the deadly Hamas attacks.
Last month, Erdogan said Israel is a “terrorist state” guilty of war crimes. He said in the Turkish Parliament: “I am now saying, with my heart at ease, that Israel is a terror state… We will never shy away from voicing the truth that Hamas members protecting their lands, honour, and lives in the face of occupation policies are resistance fighters, just because some people are uncomfortable with it.”
As reported, lawyers close to Erdogan’s ruling party have called Netanyahu the “Hitler of this century” and have petitioned the International Criminal Court to prosecute the Israeli leader.