Azerbaijan condemns ‘Israel’s’ recognition of “Armenian Genocide”
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Azerbaijan's Foreign Ministry issued a sharp rebuke against ‘Israel’ on Monday, after the ‘Israeli’ government unanimously approved a resolution the day before recognizing the "Armenian Genocide", marking a significant policy shift after decades of reluctance.
Initiated by Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar, the decision describes the mass killings of approximately 1.5 million Armenians by the Ottoman Empire during 1915-1923 as a "genocide".
The measure now awaits ratification by the Knesset.
Azerbaijan's Foreign Ministry expressed "serious concern" over the move.
In an official statement, Baku described ‘Israel's’ decision as a "distortion of the historical facts" surrounding the 1915 events and criticized the reduction of a complex historical issue to a political decision lacking legal or scholarly basis.
Azerbaijani officials called the action "unacceptable" and urged ‘Israel’ to reconsider.
This rare public criticism highlights tensions in the longstanding strategic partnership between ‘Israel’ and Azerbaijan.
The two maintain close ties centered on energy and defense cooperation.
Azerbaijan supplies a substantial portion—often around 40 percent—of ‘Israel's’ oil imports, while ‘Israel’ has been a major provider of advanced weaponry and technology to Baku.
Azerbaijan, which aligns with Turkey in rejecting the "genocide" label for the events, argued that the ‘Israeli’ decision undermines regional peace and stability efforts.
The timing of ‘Israel's’ recognition coincides with strained relations with Turkey, a close ally of Azerbaijan.
Turkey has also condemned the decision.
