Azerbaijan Condemns Israel's Recognition of Armenian Genocide, Urges Reconsideration

Azerbaijan's Foreign Ministry issued a condemnation on Monday following the Israeli government's decision to officially recognize the Armenian genocide. The statement expressed deep concern from Azerbaijan, a close ally of Israel, and called on Israel to reconsider its decision. The ministry described the recognition as a "distortion of historical truth" and criticized turning complex historical issues into political decisions without legal or scientific basis as "unacceptable."

The Israeli government approved the proposal by Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar on Sunday to formally acknowledge the Armenian genocide committed during the final years of the Ottoman Empire. The proposal will now be submitted for approval in the Knesset. It emphasizes Israel's moral and historical obligation to recognize the systematic extermination of Armenians, which began in April 1915 with the arrest and killing of Armenian intellectuals and leaders in Constantinople, followed by forced labor, death marches, and mass killings that resulted in approximately 1.5 million deaths and the destruction of a millennia-old cultural heritage in Anatolia.

The proposal also condemns any denial, minimization, or distortion of the genocide, noting that despite extensive historical documentation, denial campaigns persist, particularly by Turkey. To date, 32 countries have recognized the Armenian genocide through parliamentary decisions, legislation, or official declarations.