Israel’s decision to recognise the Armenian Genocide driven primarily by its own narrow political interests, political analyst says

Political analyst Armen Petrosyan believes there are several reasons why Israel has decided at this stage to once again place the issue of recognising the Armenian Genocide on its agenda.

Speaking to Armenpress, Petrosyan discussed the regional realities, global developments and domestic political processes in Israel that, in his view, have shaped the Israeli government’s decision.

“First and foremost, relations between Israel and Türkiye have reached an unprecedented level of tension. The political confrontation between the two countries has escalated to its highest point, with both governments continuing to exchange harsh criticism and mutual accusations. After Israel launched its military operation against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip in 2023, Türkiye became one of the strongest regional and Muslim-majority critics of the Israeli government, and that policy has now reached its peak. As the Turkish side accuses Israel of committing genocide against the Palestinians, Israel responds by referring to Türkiye’s history, namely the genocide committed against the Armenian people during the Ottoman Empire, and by bringing the issue of its recognition back onto the agenda,” Petrosyan said.

He recalled that over the past three years various Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, had repeatedly addressed the issue, while the government has now approved a draft recognising the Armenian Genocide and is considering placing it on the agenda of the Knesset for adoption as legislation.

“Another factor is linked to a broader context. Relations between Türkiye and the United States have become more active in recent months. Washington intends to sell F-35 fighter jets to Türkiye or at least provide engines for Turkish-produced fighter aircraft, which poses a serious strategic challenge for Israel. Throughout its history, Israel has sought to maintain air superiority in the region. Therefore, if Türkiye succeeds in implementing such a deal, it would create serious problems for Israel. It cannot be ruled out that one of the reasons behind Israel’s recent actions is precisely to prevent such a development,” the analyst said.

According to Petrosyan, another important factor is Israel’s domestic political situation. He noted that Israel is entering an election period, with parliamentary elections due in October, and that the current government is seeking to build its campaign around national security challenges in order to consolidate public support.

“That is why the government has once again focused on external adversaries. Alongside the Iranian issue, it is trying to demonstrate that security threats posed by Iran, Hezbollah in Lebanon, the ruling authorities in Syria and now Türkiye remain at the forefront of its agenda. By highlighting multiple external threats, Netanyahu and his government are attempting to keep public attention focused on continuing security concerns,” he said.

Asked whether Israel’s move could also undermine the Armenia-Türkiye normalisation process, Petrosyan said the issue could naturally have some impact on bilateral relations.

“However, Israel’s decision and actions are driven exclusively by the context of Israel-Türkiye relations rather than by any intention to influence third-party processes. Through this decision, the Israeli government is seeking to settle its own political differences with Türkiye. It has no interest in disrupting the Armenia-Türkiye normalisation process or creating new tensions in Armenia-Azerbaijan relations. Israel has no such long-term objective and is focused solely on its own interests and its relationship with Türkiye,” he said.

Petrosyan argued that, before initiating a process to recognise the Armenian Genocide out of genuine conviction, Israel should at least have established contacts with the Armenian authorities or held consultations with the Armenian community in Israel.

“Moreover, before launching this initiative, Israel’s foreign minister held a telephone conversation with his Azerbaijani counterpart. In other words, they coordinated the issue with Azerbaijan in order to explain the move and contain any possible reaction or attempts by Azerbaijan to intervene. Therefore, I do not believe Israel is acting out of concern for Armenia or the Armenian agenda. Rather, this step is motivated solely by its own narrow political interests,” Petrosyan concluded.

Israel’s government has unanimously approved Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar’s proposal to officially recognise the Armenian Genocide. The government will formally notify the Knesset and seek to place the issue on the parliament’s plenary agenda for a vote.