The authoritarian president of Türkiye, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, launched a strong anti-Semitic attack against Israel during an event on Sunday.
"We see what is happening in Palestine. May Allah destroy Zionist Israel in his holy name. We must see what is happening there and, therefore, we must unite, be strong, and brothers here. May Allah always strengthen our unity," declared Erdogan.
The Turkish president made these remarks after attending a mosque to commemorate Eid al-Fitr, the celebration marking the end of the month of Ramadan.
Dr. Hay Eytan Cohen Yanarocak, a specialist in Turkish affairs at the Dayan Center of Tel Aviv University, reacted to the leader's statements.
"As far as I remember, it's not the first time he says something like this, but it's shocking. We have a head of state explicitly calling for the destruction of Israel. However, he presents it as a wish in the name of Allah instead of saying he would do it himself," he stated.
