"Addicted to war," "murderous Zionism," "Goebbels-style propaganda": Erdogan’s latest verbal attack on Israel

Tensions between Israel and Turkey escalated further over the weekend after a series of particularly virulent public attacks by Recep Tayyip Erdogan. On Friday, the Turkish president accused the Israeli government of being "addicted to war" and of "trying every kind of provocation to destabilize the region."

Erdogan also lashed out at Zionism, which he described as an "extremist, occupying, and murderous ideology," claiming that it threatens not only Israel's neighbors but also those states that, according to him, uphold peace and humanitarian values.

Erdogan also reiterated his accusations against Israel regarding the war in Gaza, speaking of a "genocidal network" and describing the Palestinian enclave as "the largest children's cemetery in the world."

The Israeli reaction was immediate. In a statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs accused the Turkish president of behaving "like the worst antisemites in history" and of crossing a new threshold in his incitement against Israel. Jerusalem also accused him of using accusations comparable to old anti-Jewish "blood libels" in order to distract attention from his domestic and regional policies.

The Israeli ministry has also denounced the repression of the opposition in Turkey, Ankara’s support for Hamas, and Turkish military interventions in several neighboring countries.

Ankara quickly responded. Burhanettin Duran, spokesperson for Erdogan, accused Israel of resorting to “slander and propaganda” rather than addressing the criticism. According to him, accusations of anti-Semitism are used to mask what Turkey presents as “war crimes” and “crimes against humanity” committed in Gaza.

Overnight, the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs further hardened its tone. It denounced the "lies and slanders" of the Netanyahu government and compared Israeli communication to Nazi propaganda, stating that certain Israeli institutions were operating "in the manner of Goebbels's propaganda machine."

The Turkish statement also asserted that "the international community no longer believes the lies of the Netanyahu government."

These exchanges are taking place in a context of continuously deteriorating relations between Ankara and Jerusalem, already strained by the war in Gaza and their growing differences over Syria. Despite formal diplomatic ties, the political confrontation between the two countries has become increasingly direct.