Azerbaijan's Jewish Community Leaders Urge Israeli MPs Not to Recognize Armenian Genocide
Leaders of the Jewish communities in Azerbaijan have appealed to Israeli Knesset members, urging them not to support parliamentary initiatives recognizing the Armenian genocide. This request comes amid Israel's recent government decision to officially recognize the genocide, a move that has sparked concern over its potential impact on Israel-Azerbaijan relations. The appeal was signed by Milikh Yevdayev, chairman of the Mountain Jews community in Baku; Alexander Shrovski, head of the Ashkenazi community; and Rabbi Zamir Isayev, leader of the Sephardic community. They emphasized that complex historical issues should be resolved by scholars and historians rather than political decisions, warning that such recognition could damage trust between Israel and Azerbaijan, especially during ongoing international efforts to promote a peace agreement between Azerbaijan and Armenia.
Rabbi Isayev told JNews that historical matters should not be politicized, as turning them into political decisions risks turning past disputes into tools for political confrontation instead of leaving them to professional research. Professor Ephraim Inbar, president of the Jerusalem Institute for Strategy and Security, also criticized the move in a Radio Kol Barama interview, calling it a "petty and childish mistake" that could harm Israel's strategic relations with Azerbaijan. He argued that if Israel intends to act against Turkey, it should do so discreetly and wisely rather than through declarative steps that might alienate allies. Inbar stressed that foreign policy should be based on political and security interests, not "historical revenge."
The criticism from Jewish community leaders and experts aligns with official Azerbaijani government condemnations, which warned of damage to bilateral ties and urged Israel to reconsider the recognition. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan also expressed reservations about politicizing the Armenian genocide issue internationally. Following Israel's recognition, Azerbaijan's ambassador to Israel has returned to Baku for consultations, highlighting the diplomatic sensitivity of the matter.
