Leaders of the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America – the nation’s largest Orthodox Jewish umbrella organization – resoundingly denounce the outrageous claims and baseless verbal attacks against Israel made by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan following the United States’ recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.

Orthodox Union President Mark (Moishe) Bane and Executive Vice President Allen Fagin issued the following statement:

“President Erdogan’s incendiary and libelous rant describing Israel as a terrorist state amounts to little more than a pernicious attempt to divert scrutiny from the appalling actions he has taken against innocent people in his own country, from wiping out entire villages of Kurdish people, including children, and conspiring with Iran – a state sponsor of terrorism to carrying out policies that demonstrate a complete disregard for human life. These violations, and many others, have been detailed extensively by Amnesty International and other human rights organizations.

“Such poisonous and defamatory comments – although scarcely a surprise from an increasingly autocratic leader – are clearly intended to stoke anti-Semitism and spread hate against about the Jewish State. Like Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, we believe the leader of Turkey has no standing or credibility to challenge the democracies of Israel and the United States. His time would be better spent improving the conduct of his own government.

We stand with the United States and the administration’s courageous decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital in accordance with Congress’s stance since 1995.”