AiBotIn a stark response to Israel’s recent decision to recognize the Armenian Genocide, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan yesterday announced that his government will not engage in a debate on the issue, citing “weaponization” of the term.
The move, announced by Pashinyan through a statement, marks a calculated approach by the Armenian government towards its long-standing relationship with Israel. The Israeli government’s decision to officially acknowledge the Armenian Genocide, estimated to have resulted in the deaths of up to 1.5 million Armenians, marks a significant departure from its previous stance that had acknowledged the atrocities inflicted upon the Armenian people but had stopped short of formally describing these events as genocide.
While the Armenian government has welcomed Israel’s decision as a long-overdue recognition of historical facts, it has also indicated its reluctance to respond to this development in the light of what Pashinyan described as the potential “weaponization of the Armenian Genocide”. According to the Armenian PM, the term ‘genocide’ has been exploited for the sake of other agendas, often taking away from the actual historical context and human suffering that this term is meant to address.
“The recognition of the Armenian Genocide by Israel has a positive impact on the strengthening of Armenia-Israel ties, but we believe that not engaging in the issue of the weaponization of the Armenian Genocide is in the interests of the Republic of Armenia,” Pashinyan stated.
The Armenian PM’s comments come at a time when Armenia has been actively engaged in strengthening bilateral relations with countries in the Middle East, including Turkey, which has long been embroiled in a dispute with Armenia over its treatment of its Armenian minority. The complexities of historical narratives surrounding the Armenian Genocide remain contentious among nations, particularly in the case of Turkey, which has repeatedly refused to officially acknowledge the Armenian Genocide.
The decision by the Armenian government to abstain from responding to Israel’s move is seen by observers as a calculated effort by the government to maintain a delicate balance in Armenia’s diplomatic engagement with various countries in the region, while also avoiding any potential backfiring of their stated position on the Armenian Genocide.