Israel has declared recognition of the Armenian Genocide. Why is this important

The Israeli Government has approved resolutions recognizing the Armenian Genocide that took place in 1915 in the Ottoman Empire. The next step will be a vote in the Knesset. Full recognition will lead to an even greater break with Turkey and may affect the still friendly relations with Azerbaijan. Why this is an important topic for Ankara and what Tel Aviv's actions will lead to is in the Izvestia article.

Recognition of the Genocide

• Israel is close to officially recognizing the Armenian Genocide that took place in the Ottoman Empire during the First World War. So far, it is recognized at the government level. The resolution, introduced by Foreign Minister Gideon Saar, was supported by members of Benjamin Netanyahu's cabinet. The next step in recognizing the genocide should be a vote in the Knesset.

• The Armenian Genocide is recognized at the state level by at least 35 countries of the world. Most of them have adopted relevant resolutions and laws at the parliamentary level, in some cases the fact of genocide is publicly confirmed by high-ranking officials. Russia, the United States, Germany, the Vatican, and Brazil have recognized the genocide. Genocide Memorial Day is celebrated on April 24 in Armenia, Argentina, France, Uruguay, Canada, as well as in the state of California. In some countries, such as Greece and Italy, denial of the Armenian Genocide is a criminal offense.

• Most countries either have not developed a position on the events that began in 1915, or directly deny that they had the status of genocide. First of all, Turkey, the successor of the Ottoman Empire, denies the Armenian Genocide. Her position is that the term "genocide" was introduced in 1948 and cannot be applied to events that occurred before that. In addition, Ankara calls the actions of the Ottoman authorities legitimate in wartime conditions, since the Armenian residents generally sympathized with the Russian Empire. Turkey recognizes that the Armenian people have suffered, but refuses to give a political assessment of those events.

• Following Turkey, its close ally Azerbaijan denies the Armenian Genocide. Both of these countries are opposed to the recognition of the genocide at the international level. Their position is also shared by Pakistan and Iran. Of the major Western countries, Great Britain refuses to recognize the Armenian Genocide, citing the fact that there is not enough evidence to classify the events of 1915 as genocide in its original definition. At the same time, the parliaments of Scotland and Wales recognize the Armenian Genocide.

Change of position

For many years, Israel has also consistently denied the Armenian Genocide at the official level. This circumstance was one of the factors that contributed to the normalization of relations with Turkey in the first decades after the emergence of the Jewish state. It also allowed Tel Aviv to establish friendly relations with Baku after gaining independence. In a situation where Israel's existence was under constant threat, Turkey's support was urgently needed, and therefore the topic of the Armenian Genocide was not raised at the state level.

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• In many ways, Israel was guided by the position of the United States. Washington has also not taken a tough stance on the Armenian Genocide for many years, despite public pressure from the Armenian Diaspora. Thus, American politicians tried to maintain relations with Turkey in order to have a strong ally in the Middle East. However, in 2019, the US Congress recognized the Armenian Genocide, and two years later, President Joe Biden did so. After that, there were more and more calls for recognition of the genocide in Israel, and many politicians began to support this step.

• This topic was back on the agenda after the Hamas attack on Israel and the Israeli army's retaliatory military operation in the Gaza Strip. Turkey has strongly opposed the fighting, and its President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has become one of Israel's harshest critics. Ankara began accusing Tel Aviv of the genocide of the Palestinians and supported the lawsuit against the country in the International Court of Justice.

• Due to this escalation, the previous argument that the Armenian Genocide should not be recognized in order not to lose allied relations with Turkey has ceased to be relevant. Israeli politicians, including those from Netanyahu's cabinet, have become more likely to mention the genocide in their statements and call for its recognition. It was also used as a signal to Ankara, which itself raises the issue of genocide in Palestine against Israel.

Consequences of recognition

• The recognition of the Armenian Genocide by Israel draws a line under the rapidly deteriorating relations with Turkey. It confirms an existing gap rather than leading to it. For Ankara, the topic of genocide is extremely painful, but during the war in the Gaza Strip, it has already exhausted the arsenal of retaliatory diplomatic measures that it could take against Tel Aviv.

• Much more negative consequences may fall on relations between Israel and Azerbaijan. Both countries are closely connected economically. Baku supplies oil to Tel Aviv, and in exchange receives weapons and technologies, which it uses to strengthen its influence in the South Caucasus. Azerbaijan is also extremely important for Israel from the point of view of confrontation with Iran, as it has a long border with it. Both countries have something to lose if the recognition of the genocide becomes a reason to reconsider the level of their strategic relations.

• So far, the recognition of the genocide has not been formalized legally. It has yet to be approved by the Knesset, after which this step will become extremely difficult to reverse. Then the Armenian Genocide will cease to be a factor that can be freely used to please the political situation. Until then, Turkey and Israel will still have a small chance to stop the gap and try to meet each other halfway if they are really interested in dialogue.