In an open letter to Erdogan Thursday, Mark Rosen, the chairman of the Jewish American Congress, said Erdogan had become “arguably the most virulent anti-Israel leader in the world.”

Erdogan, who is campaigning to be elected president next month, has spoken out strongly against Israel’s operations in Gaza, accusing it of committing genocide and “barbarism surpassing Hitler.”

Rosen said Erdogan was given the Profile of Courage award in 2004 because he had at the time worked for a peaceful solution to the Mideast conflict and because of his commitment to protecting Jewish citizens in Turkey.

(AP)