Former Greek prime minister Antonis Samaras has called on the government to act immediately following Israel’s decision to move towards formal recognition of the Armenian Genocide.

Samaras said Greece should use the current diplomatic moment to press for Israeli recognition of the genocide of the Greeks of Pontus, Thrace and Asia Minor during the final years of the Ottoman Empire.

Israel’s Cabinet unanimously approved a proposal on Sunday, June 28, to recognise the mass killings of Armenians by the Ottoman Empire as genocide, although the decision still requires approval by the Knesset, Israel’s parliament. 

In his statement, Samaras described Israel’s move as “courageous” and said the next step should be recognition of the crimes committed against Greeks in Pontus, Thrace and Asia Minor.

He argued that such a decision would also serve as a strong response to what he described as Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s “neo-Ottoman expansionist plans”, which he said are directed against Greece, Cyprus, Israel and the Kurdish people.

“The Israeli government took a courageous step and fulfilled a historic obligation by recognising the genocide suffered by the Armenians during the final years of the Ottoman Empire,” Samaras said.

“Every free person now awaits the next step: namely, Israel’s recognition of the Genocide of the Greeks of Pontus, Thrace and Asia Minor. Such a move would serve as a decisive bulwark against Erdogan’s neo-Ottoman expansionist plans, which are directed against Greece, Cyprus, Israel and the brave Kurdish people.”

Samaras called on the Greek government to support such an initiative directly with Israel.

“The Greek government must seize this opportunity and convey to the Israeli government its strong support for such an initiative,” Samaras said.