‘Ottoman Empire won't return, occupied Jerusalem will not be divided:’ Netanyahu

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that the Ottoman Empire 'will not return anytime soon.' He also asserted that the Israeli occupation of Jerusalem will not end and vowed to counter Iran's threats.

Addressing the Knesset on the occasion of Argentine President Javier Milei’s official visit, Netanyahu used the opportunity to highligh historical ties between Jews and Argentina.

He shed light on Argentina's longstanding role as a refuge for Jews, noting that in the latter half of the 19th century. Netanyahu stated that Jews, who fled the economic hardships, antisemitism in Eastern Europe and the Ottoman Empire found shelter in the South American nation.

“Although some may disagree with me, I do not believe the Ottoman Empire will return anytime soon. It will not return,” Netanyahu remarked, dismissing any speculation about renewed Turkish influence reminiscent of the former empire. 

🔴 نیتن یاہو:

عثمانی سلطنت کا دوبارہ قائم ہونا ممکن نہیں۔

pic.twitter.com/rmOQG21wjI

— RTEUrdu (@RTEUrdu) June 11, 2025

His comments follow a 2018 tweet in which he had stated that the fall of the Ottoman Empire after World War I paved the way for the rise of the Zionist movement.

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In contrast to Netanyahu's claims, historical records confirmed that thousands of Spanish Jews, known as Sephardic Jews, were given refuge in Ottoman lands in the 15th century.

Invited by Sultan Bayezid II after their expulsion from Spain in 1492, tens of thousands were granted Ottoman citizenship and religious freedom, though historical records vary on the exact numbers.

The prime minister went on to praise Jewish philanthropist Maurice de Hirsch, who played a key role in Jewish settlement projects in Argentina.

He stated that Zionist leader Theodor Herzl rejected Argentina as a future homeland for Jews, yet the country provided space to Jewish people and cemented its enduring historical importance for them.

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Turning to Jerusalem, Netanyahu reaffirmed his government’s stance on the city’s status following Israel’s occupation of East Jerusalem in 1967. “Fifty-eight years ago, we reunified Jerusalem, and I promise on behalf of all my friends here, it will never be divided again,” he said.

In his concluding remarks, the prime minister addressed Iran, accusing it of waging a shadow war against Israel. “We have largely crippled Iran,” he claimed, while acknowledging that the threat from Tehran has not been eliminated.