ISRAELI AMBASSADOR: “UNFORTUNATELY, MASS MURDERS OF ARMENIANS BECAME A POLITICAL ISSUE”
Mediamax
Aug 23,2011
Armenia
Exclusive interview of the Ambassador of the State of Israel to the
Republic of Armenia Shmuel Meirom to Mediamax
– Mr. Ambassador, how do you assess the current level of
Israeli-Armenian relations?
– I would like to say that our relationships are good, but there are
a lot of places to fill it with some more content. I mean more mutual
visits and exchanges of cultural and economic matters. For example,
Armenian Minister of Diaspora visited Israel last year, there were
some exchanges but not satisfactory enough.
I am preparing visits for some senior Israeli officials, such as
Minister of Diaspora. I hope this visit will take place very soon. We
are also planning to have political consultations between Armenian
and Israeli Foreign Ministries in August.
– Don’t you think that one of the main obstacles is that Armenia and
Israel don’t have embassies in both capitals? Is it possible that
Israel opens an embassy in Armenia in the near future?
– Of course, it is possible, but it is always a matter of budget. But
Armenia has nobody in Israel, not even a non-resident Ambassador. And
this is a pity, because an Armenian Ambassador to Israel could
have a contribution to the development of the relations between our
countries. And I hope that Armenia will soon nominate an Ambassador.
– Senior Palestinian official visited Armenia recently and said
afterwards that Armenia may become the first state to recognize
Palestine’s independence. Our sources in the Armenian MFA strongly
refuted this saying that no such agreement was reached. However,
what do you think about this situation?
– We know about the intentions of the Palestinians to push this issue
in the UN. First of all, we think this is violation of the agreements,
which exist between the Palestinian authority and Israel. One of
agreements says that no change of the status of the Palestinian
authority will be made unless it is mutually agreed upon. And now
Palestinians want to bypass this agreement. Moreover, with the recent
reconciliation between the Fatah and Hamas factions, the premature
recognition of a Palestinian State could mean a de facto recognition
of the terrorist organization that rules the Gaza Strip.
– Armenia has close ties to Arab world because we have big Armenian
Diaspora there. Many people think that taking this into account Israel
can’t have really good relations with Armenia.
– Not at all. First of all, in Israel we also have an Armenian
community. And for instance, we know that in Lebanese parliament there
are two MPs of Armenian origin and unfortunately, their positions are
very close to the Hezbollah. All this shouldn’t affect the relations
between Israel and Armenia. This is not an obstacle at all.
– According to another point of view, Armenia and Israel could
successfully cooperate, if there were no close ties between Yerevan
and Teheran on the one hand and Jerusalem with Baku on the other. Do
you share this opinion?
– Here in Armenia many people ask me “since our relations with Turkey
were deteriorating in last period, maybe now it is a time for Israel
to improve the relationships with Armenia?” And I always answer that
we can have good relationship with Azerbaijan as well as with Armenia.
It is a well-known fact that Armenia has close ties with Iran. Of
course, we don’t like it very much, but we understand the geopolitical
position of the Armenia, because Armenia is isolated on two sides of
its borders. So, I do not think that this creates any obstacle for
our mutual relations.
– Recently there were some developments in the Israeli Knesset
regarding the possible recognition of the Armenian Genocide or at
least having hearings on the Armenian Genocide. Does this mean that
the position of your country on this issue can change?
– Israel always said that it acknowledged the mass murders of Armenians
during the World War I. The State of Israel never denied these terrible
events; on the contrary, we understand the immense emotion connected
with this matter, considering the high number of victims and the
terrible suffering which the Armenian people endured.
But unfortunately over the years it became a political issue. And since
it has become a political issue Israel does not wish to determine
conventions as to what exactly occurred for they in effect would
support the political positions of one side or the other. We said
that the best thing is that Armenia and Turkey discuss this between
them and have a solution of this problem.
Frankly, this is an issue for big debate in Israel. There are
people in Israel who say that from the moral point of view we have
to recognize the Armenian Genocide no matter what Turkey will say,
no matter what others will say. But our relations with Turkey are
extremely important. But anyway, this debate is continuing, including
in the parliament. Meanwhile Israeli position, as I said above, is
the following: we recognize that this mass murder happened during
the First World War, but we say that it should be resolved through
negotiations between Armenia and Turkey.
– Anyway, don’t you think that international community and Israel,
in particular, should address the issue of Armenian Genocide from
the moral and not political point of view?
– Yes, it should be, but it became a political issue. Unfortunately.
This is realpolitic.
– What do you think about the Turkish-Armenian normalization process?
Is it ‘dead’ or still ‘alive’ in your estimate?
– I don’t think that process is dead because I suppose both sides want
to improve bilateral relations. I really hope that the negotiations
will restart very soon and the border will be open. This is a hope
of many diplomats and we are a part of them.
– Israel is one the countries that sell armament in Azerbaijan.
Moreover, there were reports that Israel helped Azerbaijan to set
up a factory for manufacturing unmanned aircraft systems. Aren’t you
afraid that these weapons could undermine the regional stability and
be used against Armenia and Karabakh?
– Not at all. There is a committee that is looking after any armament
business that we have with Azerbaijan – to ensure that it can’t
endanger Armenia and anybody else. And we are open for military
collaboration with any friendly country.
– Including Armenia?
– Yes, including Armenia, of course. Why not?
– There were many reports in Armenian press that the Armenian Community
of Jerusalem is facing hard times and Israel forces them to sell the
property and leave Old City. How would you comment on this and how
can the State of Israel support the Armenian Community to preserve
its historical presence on the Holy Land?
– This is totally untrue. We have always said that all religions can
preserve their own properties in the Holy Land. Moreover, last month
we gave Russians some building in Jerusalem, which was the Tsarist-era
landmark and belonged to the Russian Tsar. And of course, we are not
doing anything against Armenians. I don’t know where this information
is coming from. Maybe it is some propaganda against us. This is really
absolutely untrue.
Mediamax’s Aram Araratyan talked to Ambassador of Israel.
From: Baghdasarian
http://www.mediamax.am/en/news/interviews/1660/