Serj Tankian Blasts Israeli Government: ‘F* You for Using Our Genocide for Your Political Gain’

System of a Down frontman Serj Tankian has fiercely criticized the Israeli government's decision to officially recognize the 1915 Armenian Genocide, accusing it of political hypocrisy in an emotional video shared on social media.

Tankian said:

“For many years, Israel's government used AIPAC to lobby the U.S. Congress not to recognize the Armenian Genocide, preventing Congress from officially recognizing it because of its relationship with Turkey, intelligence cooperation with Turkey and other strategic interests.

Today, the Netanyahu cabinet decided to recognize the Armenian Genocide of 1915, a genocide that led Hitler to believe he could do to the Jews what he went on to do in the 1930s and '40s.

The fact that this government, which is already committing genocide in Gaza and Lebanon, has decided to recognize the genocide of my grandparents is the worst fucking thing it could have done to Armenians by using our history, our genocide and our pain for its own political advantage.

Fuck you.”

Tankian has also argued that Israel's policy for decades stood in direct contrast to its recent decision.

According to the musician, successive Israeli governments actively opposed international recognition of the Armenian Genocide, using AIPAC's influence in the U.S. Congress to help preserve Israel's strategic relationship with Turkey.