Azerbaijan, a strategic ally of Israel, condemned the decision made by the government on Sunday to approve the recognition of the Armenian genocide, and called on it to "reconsider" its decision.
The government approved on Sunday a proposal by Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar under which the State of Israel will officially recognize the Armenian genocide. Now, the proposal will be brought for approval by the Knesset. On Thursday, Sa'ar announced the proposal under which Israel would recognize the genocide committed against the Armenians during the final days of the Ottoman Empire. The bill detailed that Israel would condemn any attempt at denial, minimization, or distortion of the genocide.
According to the Foreign Ministry, 32 countries around the world have recognized the Armenian genocide in various ways so far. Foreign Minister Sa'ar said, "It is never too late to do the right thing."
"Distortion of truths"
Officials in Azerbaijan condemned the recognition of the genocide and even called on Israel to consider retracting the decision in a statement. "The distortion of historical truths related to the events that took place in the year 1915, and turning complex historical processes into the subject of a political decision, while completely detaching from legal and scientific foundations, are unacceptable.
"Steps of this type do not serve reconciliation and mutual understanding, but rather cause a further deepening of existing disagreements, and hinder sustainable peace and reconciliation efforts in the region," the statement read. "We call on the government of Israel to re-examine the decision it made. Azerbaijan will also continue in the future to adopt a consistent stance for the defense of historical truths, respect for the principles of international law, and the promotion of sustainable peace in the region."
