Türkiye's AK Party slams Israeli foreign minister's remarks, comparing them to Nazi-era rhetoric

Türkiye's Justice and Development (AK) Party on Wednesday condemned Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz's recent remarks about Palestinians in the West Bank, comparing them to Nazi-era rhetoric.

In a statement, party spokesman Ömer Çelik referred to Katz as "Netanyahu's Nazi Foreign Minister," drawing a direct comparison to Hitler's Foreign Minister Joachim von Ribbentrop.

"There is no doubt that Katz has chosen Hitler's Foreign Minister Ribbentrop as his role model," he said.

Çelik's comments came in response to Katz's statements, which suggested that people in the West Bank "should be evacuated," as is done in the Gaza Strip.

The AK Party's spokesman warned that Israel's "network of mass murder" poses a threat to all humanity.

Calling for global community action, Çelik urged the prosecution of those responsible for crimes against humanity and criticized those who remain silent in the face of Israeli atrocities.

Tension has been running high across the occupied West Bank amid a brutal Israeli offensive on the Gaza Strip, which has killed more than 40,500, mostly women and children, since Oct. 7, 2023.

At least 660 Palestinians have since been killed and nearly 5,400 others injured in the occupied West Bank, according to Palestinian figures.

In a landmark opinion on July 19, the International Court of Justice declared Israel's decades-long occupation of Palestinian land unlawful and demanded the evacuation of all existing settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.