AZE.US
Armenia has taken a deliberately cautious position following the Israeli government’s decision to recognize the Armenian genocide, seeking to avoid becoming part of the confrontation between Israel and Turkey.
CivilNet commentators Stella Mehrabekyan and Arshaluis Mghdesyan said the move cannot yet be considered full recognition because it still requires approval by the Knesset.
Israel’s parliament is expected to enter recess soon, while the country is preparing for elections in October 2026. This leaves uncertainty over whether the decision will complete the parliamentary process.
The commentators argued that Israel is using the Armenian genocide issue as political leverage against Turkey amid a sharp deterioration in relations between the two countries.
“This is not Armenia’s game. It is Israel’s game against Turkey, and Armenia does not want to take part in it,” Mghdesyan said.
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan declined to publicly welcome the Israeli decision, saying that the weaponization or political exploitation of the genocide issue does not serve Armenia’s interests.
Mehrabekyan and Mghdesyan said Yerevan could theoretically have expressed restrained gratitude to Israel. However, even a carefully worded response could create additional complications in Armenia’s normalization process with Turkey.
Iran is another factor shaping Yerevan’s position. Armenia and Iran have already faced several sources of tension in recent months, and the Armenian government appears reluctant to introduce another sensitive issue into the relationship.
The commentators also said the negative attitude toward Israel among parts of Armenian society is largely linked to Israel’s close military and political relationship with Azerbaijan, including Israeli arms supplies used during the 2020 war.
At the same time, they suggested that the Israeli government’s decision could create some friction in relations between Azerbaijan and Israel.
Baku supported Turkey’s position and criticized the Israeli move, although Azerbaijan’s response was considerably more restrained than Ankara’s.
Armenia therefore finds itself facing a symbolically important decision while trying to prevent it from damaging relations with Turkey and Iran or drawing Yerevan into a wider regional dispute.
AZE.US