Pashinyan Declines Response to Israel's 1915 Genocide Recognition, Opposing Weaponization
Updated
Updated · Daily Sabah · Jun 29
Pashinyan Declines Response to Israel's 1915 Genocide Recognition, Opposing Weaponization
3 articles · Updated · Daily Sabah · Jun 29
Summary
Nikol Pashinyan said Armenia sees no need to respond to Israel’s June 28 decision recognizing the 1915 mass killings and deportations of Armenians in the Ottoman Empire as genocide.
At a Monday briefing, Pashinyan said avoiding the issue’s “weaponization” serves Armenia’s national interests, framing restraint as a deliberate policy choice rather than silence.
Türkiye reacted later the same day, with its Foreign Ministry accusing Israel of using a politically motivated decision on the 1915 events to cover up its own crimes.
Ankara still rejects the term genocide, describing the 1915 events as a tragedy with casualties on both sides and again urging a joint commission of Turkish, Armenian and international historians.
Why did Armenia offer a muted response to a long-sought recognition of its genocide by Israel?
Is Israel's genocide recognition a moral imperative or a geopolitical weapon aimed at Turkey?
Israel’s Historic 2026 Armenian Genocide Recognition: Political Timing, Regional Impact, and Armenian Restraint
Overview
On June 28, 2026, the Israeli government formally approved the recognition of the Armenian genocide, a move championed by Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar as a moral obligation and supported by Prime Minister Netanyahu. This decision comes amid a sharp deterioration in Israeli-Turkish relations since October 2023, and is widely seen as a direct rebuke to Turkey, which has strongly criticized Israel's action. Although the resolution still needs Knesset approval, Israel's shift marks a significant change in its foreign policy, reflecting both historical acknowledgment and current geopolitical tensions in the region.