Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on 26 August publicly acknowledged that the Ottoman Empire committed genocide against Armenians, Assyrians and Pontic Greeks during World War I, the first time a sitting Israeli leader has used that term. Pressed during an interview on entrepreneur Patrick Bet-David’s podcast, Netanyahu replied, “I just did,” after saying he believed Israel’s parliament had already recognised the killings. Successive Israeli governments have avoided formally recognising the 1915–17 massacres out of concern for strategic ties with Turkey, which disputes that the events constituted genocide. Netanyahu’s personal declaration therefore marks a sharp departure from previous policy, although it carries no immediate legal force and has not been followed by cabinet or Knesset action. Turkey reacted swiftly: its foreign ministry on 27 August accused Netanyahu of “exploiting past tragedies for political purposes” and attempting to deflect attention from civilian deaths in Gaza. The condemnation adds to already strained Israel–Turkey relations, which have only partially recovered after years of diplomatic friction. Netanyahu’s remarks could intensify domestic and international pressure on Israel to adopt a formal stance on the issue and risk further complicating regional diplomacy at a time when energy, security and humanitarian concerns continue to test ties between Jerusalem and Ankara.