Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s apology to Qatar is highly unusual — and its rarity becomes clear when looking back at the last time he apologized directly to a head of state. That happened 12 years ago, and it was also under pressure from an American president.
In 2013, just before leaving Israel at the end of his visit, U.S. President Barack Obama pressed Netanyahu to call Recep Tayyip Erdogan — then Turkey’s prime minister and now its president — and apologize for the 2010 Mavi Marmara flotilla incident, in which nine Turkish nationals were killed by Israeli commandos.
Following the call, Netanyahu’s office announced that the two leaders had agreed to restore normal relations and halt legal proceedings against IDF soldiers and commanders. Israel also agreed to transfer compensation funds to a humanitarian foundation. Erdogan’s office said he accepted the apology on behalf of the Turkish people and stressed the importance of strong ties and cooperation between the Jewish and Turkish nations.
Despite the statements, relations between Israel and Turkey never returned to their previous warmth. Hostility only deepened over the years and has sharply escalated since the start of the current war.
Since then, Netanyahu has rarely issued apologies — certainly not ones with dramatic diplomatic weight such as his recent apology to Qatar, delivered in a three-way call initiated by former U.S. President Donald Trump.
One of the few other instances came just two months ago, again at Trump’s urging, after an incident involving a church in Gaza. “Israel deeply regrets the damage to the Holy Family Church in Gaza,” Netanyahu said. “Every innocent loss of life is a tragedy. We share in the grief of the families and the faithful. We are grateful to Pope Leo for his words of comfort. Israel is investigating the incident and remains committed to protecting civilians and holy sites.”
In October last year, Netanyahu also expressed “regret” in a conversation with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni after a UNIFIL peacekeeper was killed in Lebanon. “We regret any harm to UNIFIL personnel,” he said, “and the IDF is doing everything it can to prevent such incidents.”
These examples highlight how rarely Netanyahu delivers apologies — and why his direct apology to Qatar, under U.S. mediation, carries unusual significance.