ARMENIANS SEEK TO DRIVE A WEDGE BETWEEN ISRAEL, AZERBAIJAN – EXPERT
news.az
June 22 2011
Azerbaijan
News.Az interviews Tofiq Abbasov, political expert.
How would you comment on Armenian media reports that an Israeli
legislative committee has declined to accept a bill by Knesset
member Aryeh Eldad to institute a day of remembrance of the so-called
“Armenian genocide”?
There is nothing fantastical about it. Those in Israel always listen
to pathetic complaints about the so-called “genocide” in Babi Yar,
in the North Caucasus and other parts of the globe.
The story of the “Armenian genocide” is from the same series. The best
that that the third-party complainants can hope is an empathy, which
Israelis and Jewish world express when someone tries to convince them
that grief of other nations, who faced mass persecution and purges,
is worse than the Holocaust.
I believe that Jews were able to explain to all that there can be no
terrible grief than the Catastrophe.
And it’s not about numbers, not 6 million people killed in cold blood
during the Second World War. It was just the peak of the bloody hell
of thousands of years of persecution, which Jews were subject.
Reaction of Israelis and Jews of the world do not impact Armenians.
They announce their grief to the entire world bothering everyone.
Therefore, I am confident that that they will continue to work hard
with their Israeli lobby.
Some Israeli experts have described as strange the Azerbaijani
diaspora’s efforts to prevent Knesset discussion of the 1915 events
in the Ottoman Empire. How would you comment on this?
This is because of ignorance of history. The experts were unaware that
tragedy of thousands of Azerbaijani families, who suffered brutality
of Armenian bandits and armed groups during the First World War, also
is part of the chronicles of a century ago. Azerbaijanis never made
their grief known and did not put their loss above world catastrophes,
as Armenians do.
I believe that if Israelis really build a strategic partnership with
Azerbaijan, it would be worth for the elite, historians, academics
of State of Israel, at least, get acquainted with the history of the
people with whom they maintain trusting relationship.
And even if the two countries – Turkey and Azerbaijan, have decided
to conduct a coordinated fight against Armenian counterfeiters at the
level of political leadership, have united efforts of their diasporas,
and finally, are strategic partners in all major areas of life,
it becomes clear why Azerbaijan backs Turkey’s interests.
When it comes to distortion of facts of the past, when campaign
is mounted to get so-called Armenian genocide recognized by world
parliaments, Azerbaijan can not stay indifferent.
And is there an element of speculation of the question of so-called
“Armenian genocide” by Israel?
That is indisputable. Armenians are actively working with their lobby
in Knesset and in other state organizations of Israel increasing the
number of those who sympathize with them trying to form a negative
image for Turks and Azerbaijanis.
Armenians saw cooling in relations between Ankara and Tel Aviv as
a unique opportunity and therefore have launched an offensive in
terms of an ideological confrontation. Similarly, the Armenians
are trying to drive a wedge between Israel and Azerbaijan. There is
nothing inexplicable here. But there are forces in Israel who are
trying to get preferences and political capital from the existing
contradictions. They want the contradictions between the sides
to deepen.
It is important that the relationship between Israel and Turkey, Israel
and Azerbaijan would be protected from harmful effects stimulated by
adventurers. In this case, it will be possible to avoid unnecessary
hype, which has recently accompanied the relationship between the
countries.
You mentioned the cooling of relations between Ankara and Tel Aviv.
Then how would you comment on remarks of Israeli Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu that Israel will always try to fix what is broken
and put an end to the deterioration of relations with Turkey?
I believe that the Netanyahu government is responsible for
deterioration of relations with Turkey not less than the other party.
If there is a conflict, both sides must take the blame. But,
unfortunately, Israel from outset put all blame on Turkey, pretending
to be offended and humiliated.
Time passed and it seems that Tel Aviv has understood that the
Israelis must take the first step towards reconciliation. It is known
that Tel Aviv has very flimsy position in the Islamic world. They
need to work purposefully with the leading countries to give them
confidence. Furthermore, Turkey has always been prone to Israel, and
if no operation “Cast Lead”, Israel’s position would remain the same.
By doing mischief in the Gaza Strip, the Israelis stained their
image worldwide. Now it is time to fix things. And in this respect
the Turkish segment is very important for Israel.
But I must say that Prime Minister Netanyahu is not responsible for
those who muddy the water surrounding the future of Turkish-Israeli
ties. He has powers, he decides, he will be responsible for the fate
of ties with a country which has always been in the orbit of friends
of Israel.
In that case, how do you assess the current state of
Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and would it be more correct for Israel
to ask Turkey to help in this matter, rather escalate confrontation
with it?
It is possible that Turkey will some day get involved in resolution of
this conflict. The issue is not even the Palestinian territory that
was once within the borders of the Ottoman Empire. Turkey is rapidly
gaining geopolitical weight, becoming not only a major regional player,
but an influential country in the world.
The credibility of the country and its leaders can have a positive
effect on the problem. And it will be important for the parties to
the conflict to equally trust Turkey as a mediator. And if super
powers do not interfere, which is very difficult to believe, Ankara
will bring down the tension in the Middle East. But it requires one
to wait a little for the right moment to come.