Azerbaijan issues rare rebuke against key ally Israel over Armenian genocide r

Middle East Eye

June 29 2026
29 June 2026 11:04 BST

The Israeli government’s decision on Sunday to formally recognise the Armenian genocide has drawn a rare rebuke from Azerbaijan, a close Israeli ally.

In an official statement, Azerbaijan’s Foreign Ministry called the recognition a “distortion of the historical facts” and “the reduction of a complex historical issue to a political decision”.

It called on the Israeli government to reconsider this “unacceptable” decision.

Turkey, in a separate statement on Sunday, said the Israeli decision was a convenient way to distract public opinion from the fact that the International Criminal Court has issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other Israeli officials over alleged crimes in Gaza.

Azerbaijan and Israel have close ties, and Baku is one of Israel’s major oil suppliers, while Israel sells advanced weaponry to the Azerbaijani government.

Turkey and Azerbaijan also see each other as close allies. Under the 2021 Shusha Declaration, both sides are obliged to support each other if either is attacked by a foreign party.

Last year, Baku sought to ease tensions between Turkey and Israel over Syria and Gaza by hosting talks between the two sides.

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Disclaimer: This article was contributed and translated into English by Emil Lazarian. While we strive for quality, the views and accuracy of the content remain the responsibility of the contributor. Please verify all facts independently before reposting or citing.

Direct link to this article: https://www.armenianclub.com/2026/07/06/azerbaijan-issues-rare-rebuke-against-key-ally-israel-over-armenian-genocide-r/

Emil Lazarian

“I should like to see any power of the world destroy this race, this small tribe of unimportant people, whose wars have all been fought and lost, whose structures have crumbled, literature is unread, music is unheard, and prayers are no more answered. Go ahead, destroy Armenia . See if you can do it. Send them into the desert without bread or water. Burn their homes and churches. Then see if they will not laugh, sing and pray again. For when two of them meet anywhere in the world, see if they will not create a New Armenia.” - WS

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