Israeli government to review Armenian Genocide recognition plan, minister says Israeli foreign minister Gideon Saar said he will submit a proposal at the next cabinet meeting for Israel to officially recognise the Armenian Genocide. Under the proposal, which requires government approval, Israel would recognise the mass killings of Armenians during the late Ottoman Empire and condemn attempts to deny, minimise or distort the genocide. "Recognizing the genocide perpetrated against the Armenian people in the final years of the Ottoman Empire is both a moral and historical duty.  We must also firmly condemn any denial, minimization, or distortion of the historical truth," he said.  "The resolution will subsequently be brought before the Knesset for a vote," he added.