Svitlana KUSHNAR, political analyst (Ukraine)
Israel has suspended the process of recognizing the "Armenian genocide" amid the risk of worsening relations with its strategic partner Azerbaijan, with which it has long-standing cooperation in sectors such as security, defense and energy. This is the resolution initiated on June 26, 2026 by the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) to recognize the "Armenian genocide" during World War I in the Ottoman Empire.
On June 28 of this year, the Israeli government unanimously approved the resolution. In order to complete the procedure, the document had to receive the support of the Knesset, but the sharp reaction of the authorities in Baku thwarted its further progress. Israel's blocking of the recognition of the "Armenian genocide" became yet another evidence that Azerbaijan has established itself as a middle power. Baku demonstrated that decisions affecting its interests and regional policy cannot be made without taking into account its official position.
Israel's decision to start the process of recognizing the "Armenian genocide" is a purely political move aimed against Ankara's interests. Thus, Israel intended to put pressure on Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in response to his harsh anti-Israeli rhetoric and accusations of "genocide" in connection with the war in Gaza. However, this initiative directly contradicted the interests of Azerbaijan - Turkey's closest ally and Israel's strategic partner.
On June 29, the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry sharply condemned the Israeli initiative and defined politicization of the events of 1915 as “unacceptable”. “Such steps do not serve reconciliation, but lead to further deepening of contradictions and hinder efforts to achieve sustainable peace in the region”, says the position of the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry. “We call on the Israeli government to reconsider the decision”, also says the position of Baku.
In addition to the authorities in Baku, representatives of the Jewish community in Azerbaijan, as well as a number of politicians and experts in Israel itself, openly declared themselves against the resolution. On June 30, the chief rabbi of the Sephardic community in Baku Zamir Isayev addressed the deputies of the Israeli parties Shas and “United Torah Judaism”. The rabbi called on the parliamentarians to take into account the possible consequences of recognizing the “Armenian genocide“ in bilateral relations: both with Azerbaijan and with the Jewish community in the South Caucasian state. “Azerbaijan is one of Israel's closest and most loyal friends and serves as an example of a Muslim state that has chosen the path of friendship and respect for the Jewish people for many years,” said Zamir Isaev.
On the same day, the president of the Jerusalem Institute for Strategy and Security, Prof. Ephraim Inbar, described the recognition of the “genocide” as a “childish and petty mistake” directed against Turkey. The expert warned that it could harm the strategic alliance between Israel and Azerbaijan. “A blow to the Turks should not jeopardize relations with Baku,” said Inbar.
„We ask you, as members of the Knesset and as public leaders in Israel, to listen to the voice of the Jewish community in Azerbaijan”, said the Chief Rabbi of the Ashkenazi Jewish Community in Azerbaijan, Shneur Segal. Also calling on the Israeli parliament to reconsider the recognition of the “Armenian genocide“: “And to do everything possible to prevent this decision from moving forward in the Knesset.“
Former Knesset member and former advisor to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Dr. Elina Bardakh-Yalov, noted on July 1 in an article for The Jerusalem Post that the recognition of the “Armenian genocide“ does not meet the interests of Yerevan itself.
„Armenia is moving closer to normalizing relations with Turkey, and its leadership has made it clear that it does not want the events of 1915 to be used by other countries for their political purposes,” Bardakh-Yalov wrote.
The same position was taken by Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan. “We see no need to react,” he said at the end of June this year:
“Because we believe that refraining from involvement in the issue of using the Armenian genocide as a political weapon meets the interests of the Republic of Armenia.“
In addition, sources familiar with the details of relations between the two countries told the Israeli publication Ynet on July 6 that Baku viewed this step as “crossing the red line”. Israel “is not responding with the same support that Azerbaijan has been providing since the beginning of the war (in Gaza)”, they explained regarding the position of the Azerbaijani authorities.
As a result, according to unofficial information, Israel has suspended the process of recognizing the “Armenian genocide”. The authorities have taken into account Baku's firm position and the possible consequences for bilateral relations. “The circle of opponents of this initiative and supporters of Azerbaijan's position was not limited to one specific group”, the Azerbaijani publication Haqqin wrote on July 9. According to the publication, the topic “covered the entire spectrum of Israeli domestic political life and the state apparatus…” “As a result of the measures taken, the initiative was stopped and practically buried”, the media outlet writes.
This is not the first case in which Baku's position has influenced the foreign policy decisions of its partners. In 2009, Azerbaijan's tough reaction became one of the factors that thwarted the ratification of the Zurich Protocols on the normalization of relations between Turkey and Armenia. The reason was that in the documents the normalization of relations between the two countries was practically separated from the issue of the Karabakh conflict.
Under pressure from Baku, Turkey tied the ratification of the protocols to progress in the settlement of the Karabakh conflict. Ultimately, the Turkish parliament did not ratify the documents, the process was frozen, and on March 1, 2018, Armenia officially annulled the protocols.
It is also widely known that Turkey is not opening its border with Armenia. The reason is that it is in coordination with Baku, which is waiting for the conclusion of a full-fledged peace treaty with Yerevan. “Ankara has once again stated its desire to open the eastern border, but only if Armenia signs a peace treaty with Azerbaijan“, the British agency Reuters noted in May 2026.
Today, Baku is noticeably strengthening its position as a middle power and as one of the key factors in the South Caucasus region. The political weight of Azerbaijan and the risk of worsening relations with it have become important factors that influenced Israel's decision to suspend further progress on the resolution. This episode once again showed that the position of the Azerbaijani authorities can no longer be ignored. Especially when it comes to issues affecting the regional balance and the interests of Baku's strategic partners.