Defense Minister Israel Katz on Sunday blasted Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, after Turkey issued arrest warrants for 37 Israeli officials on charges of genocide, in connection with Israel’s military operations in the Gaza Strip.
The warrants target, among others, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Katz, National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir, and Israeli Naval Forces Commander David Saar Salama.
Katz shared to his X account an AI-generated photo in which Erdogan is shown looking at Gaza through binoculars with the symbol of the Israeli flag.
“Erdogan, take your ridiculous arrest warrants and get out of here. They’re more fitting for the massacre you carried out against the Kurds. Israel is strong and unafraid,” wrote Katz, adding, “You’ll only see Gaza through binoculars.”
The post was written in both Hebrew and Turkish.
Turkey’s issuance of the arrest warrants comes amid continued tensions between Israel and Turkey. Erdogan has increased his verbal attacks on Israel since the start of the war in Gaza on October 7, 2023.
The two countries had been on track to restore strained ties before Hamas’s October 7 attack on Israel.
In March, Erdogan blasted Israel and described it as a "terror state" after it launched surprise strikes on terrorist targets in the Gaza Strip.
In June, the Turkish President claimed that Netanyahu’s government represents the most significant threat to Middle East security.
Despite Erdogan’s constant attacks of Israel, Turkey was involved in brokering the ceasefire agreement in Gaza, as part of US President Donald Trump’s peace plan.
Turkey has also pushed to be a part of a future international force in Gaza. Israel has firmly rejected any Turkish involvement in post-war Gaza.