Israel has suspended the process of recognizing the Armenian “genocide” amid the risk of deteriorating relations with its strategic partner—Azerbaijan—with which it has long-standing cooperation in the areas of security, defense, and energy. This refers to a resolution initiated on June 26 by the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs regarding the recognition of the Armenian “genocide” during World War I in the Ottoman Empire. On June 28, the Israeli government unanimously approved the resolution. To complete the procedure, the document needed to receive the Knesset’s support, but Baku’s sharp reaction derailed the resolution’s further progress.
Political analyst Svitlana Kushnir writes about this on Censor.net.
Israel’s decision to begin the process of recognizing the Armenian “genocide” is a political move directed against Turkey. In this way, Israel intended to put pressure on President Erdogan in response to his harsh anti-Israeli rhetoric and accusations of “genocide” in connection with the war in Gaza.
However, this initiative directly contradicted the interests of Azerbaijan—Turkey’s closest ally and Israel’s strategic partner. On June 29, the Azerbaijani Ministry of Foreign Affairs strongly condemned the Israeli initiative and called the politicization of the events of 1915 unacceptable: “Such steps do not serve reconciliation but rather further deepen divisions and hinder efforts to achieve lasting peace in the region. We call on the Israeli government to reconsider its decision.”
In addition to official Baku, representatives of Azerbaijan’s Jewish community, as well as a number of politicians and experts in Israel, have openly spoken out against the resolution. On June 30, Zamir Isayev, the chief rabbi of Baku’s Sephardic community, addressed lawmakers from the Israeli parties Shas and Yahadut HaTorah. He urged them to consider the potential consequences of recognizing the Armenian “genocide” for relations with Azerbaijan and the country’s Jewish community: “Azerbaijan is one of Israel’s closest and most loyal friends and serves as an example of a Muslim country that has, for many years, chosen the path of friendship and respect toward the Jewish people.” He was joined by many other Jewish community leaders and public figures.
As a result, according to unofficial reports, Israel has suspended the process of recognizing the Armenian “genocide,” taking into account Baku’s firm stance and the potential consequences for bilateral relations.
This is not the first time that Baku’s position has influenced the foreign policy decisions of its partners. In 2009, Azerbaijan’s strong reaction was one of the factors that derailed the ratification of the Zurich Protocols on the normalization of relations between Turkey and Armenia.
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