Serj Tankian has responded to Israel’s cabinet decision to recognize the Armenian Genocide, sharing a video statement through his Instagram story on June 29, 2026.
In the statement, the System of a Down frontman addressed the historical relationship between Israel and Turkey, claiming that previous efforts had been made to prevent recognition of the Armenian Genocide by the US Congress.
“For many years, Israel's government used AIPAC to lobby the US Congress to not recognize the Armenian genocide, to prevent Congress from recognizing the Armenian genocide, due to their relationship with Turkey, their intelligence sharing with Turkey, et cetera,” Tankian said.
Tankian then criticized the timing of the recognition, referencing the ongoing conflict involving Israel and accusing the government of using the Armenian Genocide and the suffering of his ancestors for political gain.
“Today, the Netanyahu cabinet decided to recognize the Armenian genocide of 1915 — a genocide that led Hitler thinking that he could do what he could do to the Jews in the 1930s and 1940s,” Tankian stated.
“The fact that this government is already committing genocide in Gaza and Lebanon decided to recognize the genocide of my grandparents is the worst f***ing thing that they could have done to Armenians — by using our history, our genocide, our pain to their political advantage,” he continued.
Tankian concluded his statement with a direct message: “Fuck you.”
The musician, whose Armenian heritage has frequently influenced his activism and public statements, has previously spoken about genocide recognition, human rights, and political issues through his music with System of a Down, as well as his solo work.
You can watch the full statement, documented by the Instagram account VocalPolitics, below.
