Congressional Hellenic Israel Alliance Co-Chairs Gus Bilirakis and Ted Deutch Condemn Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan’s Comments Concerning Israel
Washington, D.C. – Representatives Gus Bilirakis and Ted Deutch, Co-Chairs of the Congressional Hellenic Israel Alliance condemned Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s comments made in recent days concerning Israel’s military response to continued rocket attacks from the Hamas terrorist organization:
“Prime Minister Erdogan’s accusation that Israel is committing war crimes worse than Hitler’s Nazi regime is despicable and is a disgraceful affront to the memory of the six million people who perished in the Holocaust,” Deutch said. “It is Hamas, not Israel, that is refusing to accept a ceasefire and choosing to continue firing rockets indiscriminately at innocent Israelis. It is Hamas, not Israel, that is deliberately using ordinary Palestinians as human shields for their rockets while its terror leaders flee to fortified bunkers. If the Prime Minister wishes to speak out against violations of international law, he should call on Hamas to accept a ceasefire and recognize Israel’s right to exist instead of drawing despicable comparisons to the systematic slaughter of millions during the Holocaust.”
On July 19, Prime Minister Erdogan made accusatory comments in a speech given in the city of Ordu. In the past he has made inflammatory remarks about Israel which can be viewed here and here.
