Netanyahu Claims Jerusalem 'Forever Israeli' in Clash with Erdogan

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu asserted Israel's eternal claim to Jerusalem in a pointed message to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan during a ceremony at the City of David archaeological site, escalating a long-standing verbal feud between the two leaders over the city's status.

Speaking alongside U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee yesterday, Netanyahu stated: "We are home. This is our city. Erdogan, it's not yours. Jerusalem is ours forever, and it will never be divided again." He added that the city "will never again be divided, and there will not be a Palestinian state," framing the remarks as gratitude for U.S. support under President Donald Trump, who relocated the American embassy to Jerusalem in 2018. The event highlighted ancient Jewish ties to the site, with Netanyahu noting Jerusalem's role in biblical history and Israel's policy of undivided sovereignty since 1967.

The comments come amid heightened Israel-Turkey tensions, fueled by the nearly two-year Gaza war, which has killed over 64,000 Palestinians according to health officials, and recent escalations including a September 9 shooting at a Jerusalem bus stop that killed six Israelis claimed by Hamas and subsequent Israeli airstrikes in Gaza and Qatar. Netanyahu linked his statement to these events, warning Gaza City residents to evacuate ahead of intensified operations and vowing retaliation.

Erdogan, a vocal supporter of Palestinians and Hamas, has repeatedly claimed historical Ottoman ties to Jerusalem, stating in 2020: "Jerusalem is our city, a city from us," and affirming in February 2025 that Gaza, Judea and Samaria and East Jerusalem belong to Palestinians as their "eternal" homeland. He has accused Netanyahu of genocide in Gaza, likening him to Hitler and called him the "biggest obstacle to regional peace" in June 2025 during an OIC meeting, blaming Israeli strikes on Iran for sabotaging nuclear talks. Turkey has imposed trade restrictions on Israel and expanded influence in Syria, prompting Netanyahu's June 2025 retort: "The Ottoman Empire will not be revived any time soon." In August, Netanyahu recognized the Armenian Genocide, a Turkish red line, in apparent retaliation.

Netanyahu's remarks drew swift backlash. A coalition of 31 Arab and Islamic nations, including the Arab League, condemned his August endorsement of a "Greater Israel" vision, which includes Judea and Samaria, as a "direct threat to Arab national security" and violation of international law, with East Jerusalem as a future Palestinian capital. Palestinian officials and Hamas reiterated claims to East Jerusalem, while Erdogan has not yet responded publicly to the latest statement. Israeli opposition figures criticized Netanyahu for inflaming tensions, but supporters praised it as a defense of sovereignty.

The exchange goes to fractured Israel-Turkey ties, once allies but strained since a 2010 Gaza flotilla raid. Recent deconfliction talks in Azerbaijan over Syria aim to prevent clashes, but experts warn of risks amid Turkey's support for Hamas and regional proxy conflicts. Netanyahu's office and the Turkish presidency did not immediately comment further.