Azerbaijan has had its say - Israel has taken notice

It is well known that history should be studied by historians, not politicians. When events of the past, especially those not supported by ironclad factual evidence, become instruments for solving short-term tasks, history turns into myth, and politicization replaces scientific inquiry with manipulations, provokes conflicts, including with partner countries, and hinders the search for truth.

As BAKU.WS reports with reference to haqqin.az, this is exactly what happened in the case of the Israeli government's abrupt move toward recognizing the events of 1915 in the Ottoman Empire as the "Armenian genocide."

On June 28, the Israeli government supported the initiative of Foreign Minister Gideon Saar to recognize "the mass killings of Armenians in the Ottoman Empire during World War I as genocide." This decision became another step in the ongoing degradation of relations between Israel and Turkey.

This initiative by the Israeli government came as an unpleasant surprise for the Azerbaijani side. Given the close partnership between our states, as well as Azerbaijan's history of mediating the restoration of Turkish-Israeli relations, Baku was nevertheless not notified in advance. The Israeli side's decision presented our country with a fait accompli.

The very fact that Azerbaijan's interests and concerns were not taken into account by Israel — again, bearing in mind the nature of interstate relations — came as a surprise. Tel Aviv, against the backdrop of emotional tensions in relations with Ankara, miscalculated the effect this initiative would have on Azerbaijani society in light of the special nature of relations between Azerbaijan and Turkey, as well as the possible consequences for relations between Azerbaijan and Israel.

Azerbaijan became the first and only country to react to this Israeli initiative. On June 29, Azerbaijan's foreign policy agency issued a statement giving an extremely negative assessment of the Israeli government's decision to recognize the "Armenian genocide" and openly called on the Israeli side to reconsider it.

"The decision of the Israeli government regarding the so-called 'Armenian genocide' raises serious concern. Distorting historical facts related to the events of 1915, turning complex historical processes into a subject of political decision-making detached from legal and scientific foundations is unacceptable. Such steps serve not reconciliation and mutual understanding, but rather further deepening of existing contradictions, and hinder efforts to ensure sustainable peace and harmony in the region. We call on the Israeli government to reconsider this decision," the statement of Azerbaijan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs read. The ministry emphasized that "Azerbaijan will continue to consistently adhere to its position on protecting historical realities, respecting the principles of international law, and promoting sustainable peace in the region."

The tone of the statement is telling in itself