Effigy of Netanyahu Hung from Crane in Turkey Sparks Outrage in Israel

Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, speaks during the UN General Assembly general debate at the UN headquarters in New York. Photo: Kay Nietfeld/dpa

An effigy of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu seen hanging from a construction crane in the Turkish city of Trabzon has triggered strong condemnation from Israel.

Images published by the pro-government daily Yeni Safak showed a dummy resembling Netanyahu suspended from a crane, with a banner reading «Death penalty for Netanyahu.» The identity of those responsible remains unclear.

Israel’s Foreign Ministry said on X that a Turkish academic was behind the stunt, allegedly «aided by a state company,» and criticized Ankara for not denouncing the act.

«In Erdogan’s Turkey, hatred and antisemitism aren’t condemned, they’re celebrated,» the ministry stated.

Turkish authorities have not yet commented. A spokeswoman in Jerusalem noted that the university in Trabzon involved is state-run.

Ties between Turkey and Israel, already tense, worsened after Hamas’ October 7, 2023 attacks on Israel and the ensuing war in Gaza. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has repeatedly accused Netanyahu of committing «genocide» in Gaza, even as Ankara has attempted to mediate ceasefire efforts.