Turkey's Erdogan threatens to 'send Netanyahu to Allah,' Israel summons envoy

Earlier this month, Erdogan compared Netanyahu in a speech to some of history's known dictators, including Mussolini, Hitler, and Stalin.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (photo credit: TUMAY BERKIN/REUTERS AND MARC ISRAEL SELLEM/THE JERUSALEM POST)
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
(photo credit: TUMAY BERKIN/REUTERS AND MARC ISRAEL SELLEM/THE JERUSALEM POST)

Foreign Minister Israel Katz summoned the Turkish ambassador after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan threatened to "send [Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu to Allah" in a post on X on Friday.

"I instructed Israel’s Foreign Ministry officials to summon the Turkish deputy ambassador to Israel for a serious reprimand, following Erdogan’s attack on Prime Minister Netanyahu and his threats to send Netanyahu to Allah, and to convey a clear message to Erdogan,” Katz wrote. “You who support the burning of babies, murderers, rapists, and the mutilation of corpses by Hamas criminals, are the last one who can speak about God.

“There is no God who will listen to those who support the atrocities and crimes against humanity committed by your barbaric Hamas friends. Be quiet and ashamed!” he continued.
Erdogan made these statements shortly after an election rally last Thursday, the Jewish National Syndicate reported.

Earlier incidents between Turkish, Israeli officials

Earlier this month, Erdogan compared Netanyahu in a speech to some of history’s worst dictators, including Mussolini, Hitler, and Stalin, multiple media sources reported.

 Foreign Minister Israel Katz delivers a speech at the UN Security Council debate on sexual violence committed on October 7 by Hamas, March 11, 2024. (credit: Shlomi Amsalem/Foreign Ministry)
Foreign Minister Israel Katz delivers a speech at the UN Security Council debate on sexual violence committed on October 7 by Hamas, March 11, 2024. (credit: Shlomi Amsalem/Foreign Ministry)

The Turkish President was also quoted by multiple outlets as saying that “Hamas is not a terrorist organization, but rather a resistance movement, and we stand firmly behind them and [are] in constant contact with its leaders,” to which Netanyahu responded by saying that “Israel observes the laws of war and will not be subject to moral preaching from Erdogan, who supports murderers and rapists of the Hamas terrorist organization, denies the Armenian genocide, and massacres Kurds in his own country."