Sassounian: Armenians Should Counter Azerbaijan’s Pressure on Israel to Deny the Genocide

As relations between Israel and Turkey have become increasingly strained in recent years, shifting from strategic alliance to outright hostility, many analysts began to wonder about the Israeli government’s uncharacteristically muted reaction to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s anti-Semitic diatribes and anti-Israeli actions.

Under these circumstances, Armenians and their supporters are puzzled by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s continued complicity in the Turkish government’s denial of the Armenian Genocide and the blocking of its recognition by the Knesset (parliament).

Some Middle East experts offer two explanations of Israel’s puzzling stance:

1) Despite the apparent bad blood between Israel and Turkey, the two countries continue their covert intelligence sharing and arms trade.

2) Azerbaijan, Turkey’s junior brother, has taken an aggressive role in pressuring Israel not to recognize the Armenian Genocide by using as leverage its purchase of billions of dollars of advanced Israeli weapons, providing Israel much needed petroleum products, and a base in Baku to infiltrate and spy on Iran with which it has a 400-mile border.

The Israeli government has become so overly sensitive to Azerbaijan’s diktats that during a recent visit by Armenia’s Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian to Jerusalem, Israel’s Foreign Minister rudely refused to meet with him. Only through a last minute intervention, Nalbandian managed to meet with the President of Israel.

An article in the Nov. 1 issue of The Jerusalem Post fully illustrates the extent of Israel’s kowtowing to Azerbaijan. At a time when most Western groups, including the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), refused to monitor Azerbaijan’s Parliamentary elections because of restrictions imposed by Baku, four Israeli Knesset members rushed to Azerbaijan to show their support for President Ilham Aliyev’s despotic regime!

The Israeli delegation, led by former Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman, now chairman of the Israel-Azerbaijan Parliamentary Group, included ex-ambassador to the U.S. Michael Oren, Sofa Landver, and Yoel Razbozov.

Israel's former Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman, now chairman of the Israel-Azerbaijan Parliamentary Group
Israel’s former Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman, now chairman of the Israel-Azerbaijan Parliamentary Group (Photo: Telegraph.co.uk)

The Jerusalem Post reported that Lieberman, as Foreign Minister, “worked to strengthen Israeli ties with Azerbaijan,” and quoted him saying in Baku that it is “an important country and a good friend of Israel….

“Even in the time of the Soviet Union, [Azerbaijan] was known to treat its Jewish community well, and there is no anti-Semitism there. We must continue strengthening our relations with Azerbaijan.”

Azernews also quoted him telling the Azeri Elections Media Center that Azerbaijan “is an example of democracy, stability, and successful foreign policy.” Most knowledgeable people would dismiss such ridiculous and false statements.

One wonders why the former Foreign Minister is so anxious to whitewash Azerbaijan’s past and present practices of anti-Semitism. After the four Knesset members return from Baku, they should be asked to disclose the lavish gifts they likely received in appreciation for their rubber stamping of the fraudulent elections in Azerbaijan. Not surprisingly, Aliyev maintained its tight grip on power after his ruling party retained its majority in parliament, while the mainstream opposition boycotted last Sunday’s elections.

The Jerusalem Post reported that “Azerbaijan is considered the Muslim country friendliest to Israel, and the two countries have close ties and significant trade. Azerbaijan is Israel’s biggest oil provider, and trade between the two countries reaches $5 billion, more than with France. In recent years, Lieberman, then-president Shimon Peres, and Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon visited Baku.”

In pursuing its arms for oil policy, Israeli officials have conveniently ignored Azerbaijan’s gross violations of human rights, lack of freedom of speech, and jailing of journalists and activists, including Leyla Yunus, head of the Baku-based Institute for Peace and Democracy, and investigative reporter Khadija Ismayilova of Radio Free Europe.

While it might be somewhat understandable that Israel and Azerbaijan are pursuing their self-interests, no matter how reprehensible the means, Armenia must also pursue its own national interests and counter the actions of any country that jeopardizes its security and questions the genocide. The Armenian government should make crystal clear to Israeli officials that by selling multi-billion dollar sophisticated weapons to Azerbaijan, they become responsible for putting at risk thousands of Armenian lives. Azerbaijani officials have publicly announced that they intend to use the arms acquired from Israel to attack Nagorno-Karabagh (Artsakh) and Armenia.

Lastly, Armenia should warn Azerbaijan that its unwarranted denials of the Armenian Genocide and pressures on other countries, such as Israel, to join its denialist cause, would further antagonize Armenians, making it impossible for them to accept any concessions on the Artsakh conflict.

 

Harut Sassounian

Harut Sassounian

California Courier Editor
Harut Sassounian is the publisher of The California Courier, a weekly newspaper based in Glendale, Calif. He is the president of the Armenia Artsakh Fund, a non-profit organization that has donated to Armenia and Artsakh one billion dollars of humanitarian aid, mostly medicines, since 1989 (including its predecessor, the United Armenian Fund). He has been decorated by the presidents of Armenia and Artsakh and the heads of the Armenian Apostolic and Catholic churches. He is also the recipient of the Ellis Island Medal of Honor.

27 Comments

  1. {Armenians Should Counter Azerbaijan’s Pressure on Israel to Deny the Genocide}

    Disagree completely, Mr. Sassounian:
    Why should we ?
    We have limited resources: why waste them chasing wild geese.
    We should expend our finite resources in Europe, in France, etc to criminalize AG Denial, to pressure Germany to officially acknowledge the AG, etc.
    Why waste resources on Israel: Israel’s crazy leaders will do whatever they will do.
    Even US cannot pressure them.
    Let the two scorpions have a love fest.

    Jewish-Armenians are doing a fine job countering anti-Armenian proselytizing in Israel.
    The voice of a Jewish person carries far more weight in this matter.
    http://armenpress.am/eng/news/805686/rima-varzhapetyan-slams-bias-anti-armenian-articles-published-in-israeli-periodicals.html

    {Lastly, Armenia should warn Azerbaijan that its unwarranted denials of the Armenian Genocide and pressures on other countries, such as Israel, to join its denialist cause, would further antagonize Armenians, making it impossible for them to accept any concessions on the Artsakh conflict.}

    Sir: you can’t possibly be serious with this paragraph.

    There is nothing Turkbaijanis can do to further antagonize Armenians: they shell our border villages; they murder our civilians in their back yards; they kidnap and torture to death lost civilians; they send commando-kill-teams to abduct and murder 17-year-old Armenian youth,…..

    And what concessions is there to accept ?
    Caucasus Turkbaijanis and their Turk kin in Asia Minor illegally squatting on Armenian lands intend to “liberate” Artsakh*.
    Ilham considers Armenia “West Azerbaijan”.
    What concessions ?
    The concessions Uyguroğlar nomads expect from Armenians is that we disappear from Caucasus.

    —-
    * http://asbarez.com/141273/turkey-vows-its-support-for-the-liberation-of-azerbaijani-territories/

    • *** Absolutely., on the mark, I agree with you totally. I am surprised at Mr. Sassounian’s article, quite frankly I am disappointed with him for suggesting such an useless approach.

  2. The Asbarez article was truly startling:
    http://asbarez.com/141273/turkey-vows-its-support-for-the-liberation-of-azerbaijani-territories/

    “The soldiers and armies of both countries have supported each other in hard times and established justice after destroying the enemy by force of arms. As our ancestors gained victory over the enemy, our armed forces decently continue this honorable duty” (Azerbaijan’s defense ministry)

    It’s an interesting narrative that the Azeri and Turkish leaders push on their people. “We destroyed the enemy.” When we Armenians summarize our history, the narrative goes “we survived, we achieved, we thrived.” These people say “we destroyed.” I did not know that this is how they see themselves. I thought this was a misperception about them on our part, fueld by mutual distrust and isolation. This may change some of my views.

    RVDV, where are you? Please shed some light as to why your people think this way?

    • “When we Armenians summarize our history […]”

      You Armenians?

      “The territories under Armenian control, including “NKR”, are occupied territories. They belong to Azerbaijan and are occupied by Armenian forces.” –Vahagn // October 27, 2015 at 10:52 pm in: “Warlick: OSCE Concerned about Increasing Violence, Civilian Deaths” [http://armenianweekly.com/2015/10/26/warlick-osce-concerned/]

  3. Muslim world will never make peace with Israel, and Axerbaijan is not excluded. In the meanwhile Israel will play Armenian Genocide card occasionally, in order to neutralize their nonstop aggressive hateful policy against Jewish State!

  4. The content of this article, as such, is mainly correct or plausible (though it is particularly astonishing to find in it a reference to Azeri “information” sources…)

    In any event, this criticism is founded on the traditional premise that Israel is all-powerful, that they are calling all the shots, doing always whatever they want and the way they want it, etc., etc.

    The current reality is fundamentally different.

    For quite some time now, and more and more, the political and economic alliances of Israel are generated by its insecurity, in the various senses of that word.

    Consequently, yes, the position at issue of the Israeli government, against the interests of Armenia and the Armenians, is indeed disappointing, unworthy, and often aggravating. But it would be appropriate to understand that Israel is under much more threat than Armenia, in terms of its very existence. Cornered (literally and metaphorically) in an untenable situation, its government is grasping at straws, so to speak, and its relations with Turkey and/or Azerbaijan (same difference) have to be situated in this context.

    It is interesting to note that we are displaying a much more “forgiving” approach towards other governments, notably in the Middle-East – but also in the Western world -, who are acting blatantly against the Armenians interests and in favor of the Turks, without having at all the above-stated “extenuating circumstances” of Israel.

    As for the last sentence of Harout’s article, it’s downright awkward… Who ever said that, in any scenario, we would accept any concession regarding Artsakh ? Is Artsakh some bargaining chip, for the recognition of the Armenian Genocide ? This reasoning is not helpful at all, from any point of view, and especially not with regard to some… misunderstandings between Armenians

    Haytoug Chamlian, Canada

    • “But it would be appropriate to understand that Israel is under much more threat than Armenia, in terms of its very existence.”

      Are you sure about that?

  5. Not very subtle, Mr. Avery.
    Instead of supporting peace and prosperity in poor countries, the Azeri president/policy makers use their oil and oil money to bribe with luxury items and/or buy weapons. Why would the West or Israel want to change anything.
    On the other hand, similar to another Middle Eastern country, Turkey exists to destroy and occupy. The likes of Davudoglu, among other means, blackmail foreign government officials and corporation heads, for pleasure providing the new species of “beautiful turkish women” who originally were Armenian, Greek, Assyrian, etc. forcefully taken into harems or moslem households.
    While you are not subtle Mr. Avery, you are making points that Armenians, Cypriots, Assyrians, and others should heed.
    In another instance, “even the US cannot pressure them”? should read “will not”.
    Furthermore, let us not forget, the intermarriages in recent decades of Azeries (oilmen and diplomats), Turks (American Base), and Israelis (only they how), which yield very pro Azeri, and very pro Turkish families.
    Limited resources or not, we have survived and will continue to persevere.

  6. Armenia finds itself in a difficult spot in this instance. It must use its limited resources wisely. Armenia has done an excellent job publicizing the tragic Genocide.
    It must realize Israel is about Israel only. It cloaks itself in righteousness over it perceived Muslim threats. Yet at the same time it arms Azerbaijan and cooperates with Turkey. Let Armenians in Armenia and throughout the world publicize Israel’s support of Turkey and Azerbaijan. They keep it quiet the all too many people are unaware of this two-faced policy of Israel.

  7. I rarely disagree with Mr Sassounian, but I must say, Avery makes a good point about this article giving Azerbaijan too much credit, not to mention ‘legitimacy’. Unfortunately we must follow the dictates of the powers and play the “peace process” game, and to give Mr Sassounian some credit, I think this is what he was alluding to, as part of the ‘process’.

    But we can all understand that this so-called “peace process” is eventually going to lead to nowhere. Azerbaijan illegitimized itself when it attempted a genocide on the people of Artsakh during the war it started. We must all come to terms with the fact that Azerbaijan’s reason for existence is for the destruction of Armenia, by following and doing what Turkey’s objective is and has always been. When they keep shouting “two nations one state”, can’t we get a clue already? There is nothing to ‘discuss’ with Azerbaijan any more. All we need to do is be ready. When a rabid wild animal starts foaming at the mouth and attacks, you simply put it out.

    In addition, I am not convinced at all this Israel vs Turkey charade. For now, its all a show for consumers, and behind closed doors it is business as usual. Israel cannot have any breakdown with Turkey unless it also has a breakdown with Azerbaijan. If you want to see how good or how bad Israel’s relationship with Turkey is, then check to see how the Israel-Azerbaijan relations are. Without Turkey, Israel can’t get Azeri and ISIS oil. Yes, ISIS oil too. ISIS gets weapons from Turkey to wage a phony jihad, and ISIS next steals oil from Iraq and Syria, Turkey purchases the oil for pennies on the dollar and next sells it to Israel. These countries and terrorists are all in good company together.

    Finally about Haytoug saying above “Israel is under much more threat than Armenia” – I will also have to disagree with this as well. I would suggest that in fact, it is actually the reverse in Israel’s neighborhood, the other countries are the ones under threat from Israel and Israel is under no threat whatsoever. This is all false propaganda from the west’s mainstream liar media/neocons/Israel lobbies and the like. They always claim stuff like “Israel is surrounded by enemy Muslims! Israel is in imminent danger! Israel needs more money and weapons!” Yeah right with all that nuclear arsenal, and endless advanced weapons and support from Uncle Sam, Israel is in as much danger as an elephant is from a fly.

    Next let’s see who Israel’s “enemy neighbors” actually are and how many of them are in the USA’s pocket, meaning, zero threat level to Israel. Saudi Arabia? Check. Jordan? Check. Egypt? Check. Now who is left? The rock throwers (vs government sponsored and armed settler extremists) are no threat, despite what Israel claims. That threat has long been contained. That leaves the possibilities of 1. Syria. 2. Hezbollah in Lebanon.

    In fact Syria never fired a shot at Israel since the current government has been in power for the past 40 or 50 years. Syria has even hinted that the return of the occupied Golan could result in normalized relations with Israel. Yet, it has been Israel which has been invading Syria for decades illegally with bombing campaigns, and Syria being unable to do anything about it.

    That really leaves Israel with only one “threat” and that is Hezbollah. Now is anyone going to argue that an organization inside of Lebanon (whose aim is to prevent Israeli incursions into Lebanon) is any threat to a nuclear armed Israel? I rest my case.

    • Hagop, whether there is or not such a propaganda (because one could argue that there is much more anti-Israel propaganda, pretty much everywhere, but anyways), my assertion is based on my continuous, daily contacts and communications with actual Jews. It could also be supported by just an elementary observation of what is going on in Israel. Once you get rid of the perception, the misconceptions and the prejudice regarding the Jews, and you start looking at the actual facts, you will realize that, contrary to some… theories, Israel is in a constant state of insecurity. To illustrate my point, for instance, – and remaining in our subject at hand -, just consider this analogy : imagine what would be the situation if there were massive numbers of Turks and/or Azeris (same difference) living in Armenia, in Artsakh… as citizens… And on the level of international politics, just consider the fact that the USA is now in a “dealing mode” with Iran. Israel is in very serious trouble. The propaganda which is affecting us is the one instilled by our compatriots of the Middle-East; on top of some latent, unconscious anti-Semitism…

  8. Mr. Chamlian:

    [Hagop] adequately addressed your contention about Israel’s “insecurity”. But there is something else, and which has nothing to with Israel’s alleged “insecurity”.

    If I try really, really, really hard, I can even find some convoluted justification for Israel selling weapons* to Azerbaijan, while the latter openly declares its intention to “liberate” (i.e. invade, ethnically cleanse – again) historic Armenian lands, and considers Armenia, quote, “Western Azerbaijan”.
    Something like: “OK. Whatever. They need the business, nothing personal….they need the oil from Azerbaijan,so…whatever…”

    But when the Israeli State actively participates in and actively supports the worldwide Turkic campaign of Armenian Genocide denial, then there is nothing more to discuss.

    I can’t speak for others, but personally don’t give hoot if Israel recognizes AG or not. I’d rather they didn’t. I’d rather they stood alone with Turks in denial, like a bright neon sign of hypocrisy for all the world to see.
    Yes, morally they should, and should have been the first country in the world, but they are not obligated.
    What they are obligated to do is _not_ actively participate in AG denial.
    Genocide denial is the last stage of Genocide.
    And Israel is actively participating in it.

    They have crossed a line, and there is no going back.
    Decades of damage to our Cause cannot be undone.

    —-
    * Yes, Russia too sells weapons to Azerbaijan: but also tells Ilham what he can or cannot do with them, and also sells RoA far more advanced weapons at cost. Or simply gives heavy weapons to RoA. Israel does no compensating for Armenia. Far from it.

  9. How extremely shameful it is that Israel, whose Jewish Holocaust happens to be deeply recognized by the Republic of Armenia, has continuously refused for all these years to recognize the Armenian Genocide. Furthermore, Israel who has supplied the terrorist state of Azerbaijan with 1.6 billion dollars worth of military arms, is another party who is guilty of inciting the Azerbaijanis to continue as well as escalate their campaign of terrorism against Armenia and Artsakh.

    “Four Israeli Knesset members rushed to Azerbaijan to show their support for President Ilham Aliyev’s despotic regime.”

    “The Jerusalem Post reported that Lieberman, as Foreign minister, ‘worked to strengthen Israeli ties with Azerbaijan,’ and quoted him saying in Baku , that it is ‘an important country and a good friend of Israel.'”

    Actually, all of this doesn’t surprise me. If the two terrorist states of Azerbaijan and Israel (regardless of one being Jewish and the other Muslim) can conveniently use each other to advance their self-interests, then the two of them will most certainly pursue these interests.

    Concessions? Not a chance! Where’s the logic in giving a chunk of the Artsakh Republic to the Azerbaijanis in which seven thousand precious Armenians died for while liberating these Armenian lands? In fact, it’s Azerbaijan who owes land to Armenia. And since we’re on this subject, let me again remind everyone that today’s fake republic of Azerbaijan had actually been a part of historic Armenia, which was called Aghvank.

    • {Israel who has supplied the terrorist state of Azerbaijan with 1.6 billion dollars worth of military arms […]}

      Yet, for some reason, we only see a hail of complaints about a Russian arm sale on these pages…

    • [“Yet, for some reason, we only see a hail of complaints about a Russian arm sale on these pages…”]

      Because Russia is supposedly Armenia’s ally. Israel is not. The standards are meant to be different.

    • Well, as irritated as you and your fellow Russian nationalist compatriots may be in regard to my complaints about that four billion dollar Russian arms sale to Armenia’s mortal enemy (Azerbaijan), there will be more complaints to come on these pages in regard to this particular topic.

    • {Because Russia is supposedly Armenia’s ally. Israel is not. The standards are meant to be different.}

      They are meant to be different with any mightier state. The US is selling arms to Saudi Arabia, Israel’s mortal enemy.

      P.S. ‘Yerevanian’, relax…

  10. [“Israel is under much more threat than Armenia, in terms of its very existence.”]

    There are good reasons to believe that this is true. Israel’s adversaries (Iran, Hamas, and many Palestinians) do not recognize Israel’s right to exist. Turkey and Azerbaijan, on the other hand, have never denied Armenia’s right to exist (at least not officially). So, unlike Israel, Armenia does not have to deal with the denial of its very right to existence. Sure, Azerbaijan wants the return of Karabakh and the other occupied territories. They also consider modern Armenia Western Azerbaijan, with its capital Irevan being historic Azeri city (both views having some historic basis, though greatly exaggerated). But Azerbaijan is ok with an Armenian state existing on the territory of what it considers its historic western lands (as long as its territorial integrity is restored, and refugees return to their homes). Israel’s enemies do not even concede this. This may seem an insignificant difference to us Armenians, but it is significant impediment to the Arab-Israeli peace solution. This difference may hold the key for the future solution of the Armenian-Azeri conflict.

    Of course, Israel’s ruling party does not recognize Palestine’s right to exist. There is a reason that that conflict is a mess.

    We should also not forget that despite the Genocide, Turkey recognized Armenia in the Batumi treaty of 1918 (the territory was Yerevan plus Sevan, but it’s still something). Sure, the treaty was signed after the Sardarabad battle, but the negotiations were ongoing even before the battle; plus, the Ottomans, if they were really bent on destroying independent Armenia, would not have much difficulty in doing it (they did massacre 30,000 Armenians in Baku after destroying the Baku Commissariat just six months after Sardarabad). Similarly, if Kemal’s troops in 1920 really wanted to destroy Armenia, they could have pushed to take Yerevan instead stopping and forcing Armenia to sign the treaty of Alexandrapol, thus recognizing independent Armenia. Our adversaries may hate us, but in principle they are not against us having our state within internationally recognized borders. This may be some bright spot in our conflict, as opposed to Israel’s situation.

    • {Iran […] does not recognize Israel’s right to exist.}

      Not quite true. In 1948 Iran did recognize Israel as a sovereign state, but voted against admission of Israel to UN membership.

      {Turkey and Azerbaijan have never denied Armenia’s right to exist. Unlike Israel, Armenia does not have to deal with the denial of its very right to existence.}

      Not true. Armenia had to struggle against oppressive Ottoman Empire so Turks recognize the Armenians’ right to exist. This struggle became known as the “Armenian Question” at the 1878 Congress of Berlin. The struggle for the right to exist emerged repeatedly during the Armenian Genocide perpetrated by the Turks in 1915.

      {Azerbaijan wants the return of Karabakh and the other occupied territories. They also consider modern Armenia Western Azerbaijan, with Irevan being historic Azeri city (both views having some historic basis, though greatly exaggerated).}

      ‘Occupied’ territories? ‘Irevan’? You may lessen your zeal in convincing us you’re not an Armenian. Or you already unveiled the mask? Anyway, we already know who you are from your earlier posts. And, no, both views have no—even greatly exaggerated—historic basis. The very term ‘historic’ in relation to the formation called “Azerbaijan”, which was created only in 1918, is an oxymoron. Therefore, ancient Armenian Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) could not be a “historically” Azerbaijani territory. The region’s status was never decided at the Paris Peace Conference in 1919, and already in 1921 the Bolshevik party organ (not a state legislature) illegally transferred the region, together with Nakhichevan, to the Azerbaijani SSR, when over 94 percent of the region’s population was Armenian. In 1990, before Azerbaijan’s succession from the USSR, a joint session of Armenia’s Supreme Soviet and the legislative body of Nagorno-Karabakh proclaimed the unification of the region with Armenia pursuant to the Soviet Constitution. Soon, during the December 1991 all-USSR referendum, the majority population of Nagorno-Karabakh approved the creation of an independent state.

      {But Azerbaijan is ok with an Armenian state existing […] as long as its territorial integrity is restored and refugees return to their homes.}

      Really? Territorial integrity restored and refugees return to their homes? In your dreams or you’re smoking hookah now?

      We should also not forget that despite the Genocide, Turkey recognized Armenia in the Batumi treaty of 1918 (the territory was Yerevan plus Sevan, but it’s still something).

      Yerevan plus Sevan is “still something”, huh? And, I sense, we’re invited to profoundly thank the murderous Turks that they recognized Yerevan plus Sevan after barbarously wiping out all Western Armenia and a chunk of Eastern Armenia, right?

      {The Ottomans, if they were really bent on destroying independent Armenia[…]}

      Of course, of course… The wholesale destruction of Western Armenia and the intrusion into independent Democratic Republic of Armenia were just innocuous little Turkish games.

      {The Ottomans, if they were really bent on destroying independent Armenia, would not have much difficulty in doing it.}

      Well, they had. At Sardarabad, Bash Abaran, and Karakilisa Turks suffered humiliating defeats at the hands of the Armenians.

      {If Kemal’s troops in 1920 really wanted to destroy Armenia, they could have pushed to take Yerevan instead stopping and forcing Armenia to sign the treaty of Alexandrapol.}

      Dönmeh Mason Kemal’s intruding troops stopped where they were instructed to stop by his brethren Bolsheviks, so the 11th Army invades Armenia shortly after, as part of the Turko-Bolshevik plan for the division of historic Armenian lands.

      {Our adversaries may hate us, but in principle they are not against us having our state within internationally recognized borders.}

      Internationally recognized borders? Really? Okay. Then, chronologically, as the first step, we’ll agree at Armenia’s borders internationally recognized by the Treaty of Sèvres, as drawn by US President Woodrow Wilson (“Wilsonian Armenia”).

    • {Turkey and Azerbaijan have never denied Armenia’s right to exist (at least not officially).}

      “Turkey must show its teeth to Armenia. What harm would it do if a few bombs were dropped on the Armenian side by Turkish troops holding maneuvers on the border?” –Turkish president Turgut Özal during an interview in The Washington Institute on January 28, 1991

      And, I guess, Armenian lieutenant Gurgen Markaryan’s murder in his sleep and dynastic sultan AliyOFF’s non-stop anti-Armenian psychosis are one hell of demonstration of the fact that Turkic Azerbaijan wholeheartedly supports Armenia’s right to exist…

  11. Just because Iran and most of the Arab countries happen to not recognize the state of Israel, does not in any particular way show that Israel is under a threat of attack from any one of these countries. In fact, none of Israel’s neighbors (Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Egypt, or even Saudi Arabia who’s not a neighbor but nevertheless close by) have any plans whatsoever to attempt an attack on Israel. As for Iran, it’s a bit far away to attempt an attack on Israel. Furthermore, Israel is heavily armed up to the sky with the most sophisticated U.S. military weapons, and even happens to possess nuclear weapons (which, of course, is a huge injustice). On top of that, the United States is deeply committed to the protection of Israel. Therefore, Israel is under no kind of threat whatsoever. Instead, it’s the Palestinian inhabitants of present-day Israel, who are under threat as a result of persistent Israeli oppression directed against them, as well as the continued illegal Israeli occupation of their lands.

    “Turkey and Azerbaijan, on the other hand, have never denied Armenia’s right to exist.”

    Well, in regard to Armenia’s right to exist, it’s very well known by now that those two terrorist Turk states wish to destroy Armenia at any cost. As a matter of fact, Sultan Aliyev has even gone so far as to publicly reveal his intense desire to destroy Armenia.

    “Sure, Azerbaijan wants the return of Karabakh and the other occupied territories.”

    Once again, the Republic of Artsakh is not an occupied territory. As a result of the cruel decision by Soviet Russia to give this Armenian land to the Azerbaijanis, it therefore became part of the Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic (in 1923) under the former Soviet constitution; however, upon the dismantling of the former Soviet Union in 1991, its constitution became terminated, which therefore means that Azerbaijan’s territorial claims to Artsakh were no longer valid after 1991.

    “They also consider modern Armenia Western Azerbaijan.”

    But yet, there was no such thing as Azerbaijan before 1918. As for present-day Armenia, it’s been around for several thousand years. On the contrary, it happens to be present-day Azerbaijan that used to be a province within historic Armenia, which was called Aghvank.

    “We should also not forget that despite the Genocide, Turkey recognized Armenia in the Batumi treaty of 1918.”

    This was actually a trick to deceive the First Republic of Armenia into believing that the Ottoman Turks had no desire to destroy the remaining part of Armenia. But yet, shortly afterward, the Ottoman Turks would renew their attempt to wipe out the remaining part of Armenia, but failed as a result of World War One ending in November of that year (1918). As for Kemal Ataturk, he also failed in his mission to demolish the remaining part of Armenia (back in 1920), due to Soviet Russia’s intervention in November of that year (in an attempt to persuade Armenia to join its union). As a result, Kemal’s troops failed to make it to Yerevan, and therefore, were forced to settle with the Treaty of Alexandropol, which was signed by the First Republic of Armenia, but never ratified as a result of Armenia becoming a part of Soviet Russia in December of 1920.

  12. [“the Ottoman Turks would renew their attempt to wipe out the remaining part of Armenia, but failed as a result of World War One ending in November of that year (1918).”]

    Then let us give a round of applause to the great old United States of America for stopping World War I and saving Armenians from complete annihilation. I suspect that many Armenians do not realize that had it not been for the U.S. entry to the war, the war would have gone much longer, allowing Turks to wipe out the rest of Armenians (after massacring 30,000 Armenians in Baku just a month before the end of the war). And this does not include the massive aid that the Americans gave to Armenians following the war, preventing many from starvation. And by the way, at the same time, Russia, the “ally” that we are supposed to rely upon, was literally non-existent, due to its usual incompetence and rotten state.

    In sum, modern Armenia owes its existence to the United States. So, really, may God bless the greatest democracy in history.

    • {In sum, modern Armenia owes its existence to the United States. So, really, may God bless the greatest democracy in history.}

      The greatest democracy in history, in some respects, was the Athenian democracy, which, after just two centuries of turbulent life-time, declined and died out miserably due to general imperfection of that form of government, as well as domestic political manipulations and the incompetence of elites represented by Plato and Aristotle.

      Modern Armenia owes its existence, first and foremost, to the courage and indomitable will of the remaining portion of the Armenian people in Eastern Armenia who fought off Kemalist Turkish invaders in Sardarabad, Bash Abaran, and Karakilisa in 1918. Ironically, modern Armenia also owes its existence, unfortunately at the expense of loosing her independence in 1920 and two chunks of her ancestral homeland—Artsakh and Nakhichevan, to the Bolsheviks, to the forced incorporation into the Soviet Union. Modern Armenia owes its existence to the great sacrifice of her sons and daughters who fought and won in the Artsakh Liberation War of the early 1990s.

    • [“Armenian people in Eastern Armenia who fought off Kemalist Turkish invaders in Sardarabad, Bash Abaran, and Karakilisa in 1918”]

      For some reason, each time you post something, you somehow always manage to make a glaring slip-up (remember “Thrace is in Asia Minor”?). Armenians didn’t fight Kemalists at Sardarapad in 1918. Kemalists did not exist in 1918. Armenians fought the Ottoman Empire at Sardarapat. Kemalists, who abolished the Ottoman Empire, invaded Armenia in 1920. Not too good for someone claiming to be “academic”.

      Armenians owing existence to Bolsheviks? At the price of “loosing” [sic] Artsakh and Nakhichevan? You must be kidding. By your logic, Armenia owes its existence to Ottoman Empire, which, under the Treaty of Batum, allowed Armenia to keep Yerevan plus Sevan, at the expense of losing, you know, everything else. No, Armenia owes nothing to Bolsheviks. Armenia would have survived as a much larger independent state had it not been for the Bolshevik support to Kemal.

      [“The greatest democracy in history, in some respects, was the Athenian democracy, which, after just two centuries of turbulent life-time, declined and died out miserably due to general imperfection of that form of government”]

      No, the Athenian democracy was a deeply flawed democracy which died due to flaws specific to its own system, i.e. lack of adequate checks and balances, and lack of adequate protection for human rights. This proved to be fatal during the Peleponesian War, when a brilliant general such as Alcibiades, who was devoted to Athens and could have made his city the master of the West (possibly even preventing the rise of Rome), fled the city to avoid baseless prosecution and joined Athens’ enemies, resulting in Athens’ disastrous defeat. Athens never recovered and eventually disappeared as an independent state.

      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alcibiades

      Fortunately, the founders of the United States learned from the mistakes of the ancient Greeks and designed the necessary checks and balances into the American democracy, which, after over 200 years, is stronger and richer than any other state in history.

      By the way, regarding Athens, Alcibiades, and Kemalists, something very similar (and equally disastrous) happened to Armenia during its brief independence in 1918-1920. General Andranik, who had devoted decades to fighting Turks and serving his people, left Armenia in 1919, disappointed at its leaders’ incompetence. His absence was painfully evident in 1920, when Kemalists took Kars almost without a shot and ended Armenia’s existence. One can only wonder how different Armenia’s history might have gone, had Andranik stayed. Of course, had Armenia been a democracy, instead of a one-party dictatorship, Andranik might have stayed in the hopes of changing the Armenian government’s disastrous policies through legitimate means. Instead, he settled in the United States, making hand-crafted chairs till his death. That is what makes the United States the greatest democracy.

    • Never claimed to be an “academic”. Making things up in your best traditions? I said I’m trained in Russian/Soviet studies. And “Thrace is in Asia Minor” was never stated the way you put it here, but in a way that a small portion of mainland Thrace extended at one time on the westernmost part of Asia Minor. This pales in comparison with gems, such as ‘tseghakron’ translated as “religion of the tribe” or the most recent one, that “modern Armenia owes its existence to the U.S.” Not to mention the slip-ups that exposed you as non-Armenian.

      When one maintains that “Eastern Armenians fought off Kemalist Turkish invaders at Sardarabad”, it shouldn’t be taken as if already Kemalists had officially grabbed power in 1918. Of course, there was still the Ottoman Empire, but already at that time there existed strong resistance to the power of the Sultan, led by Kemal, who took a major part in planning and executing most military operations, to the extent that already in 1919 Kemal’s supporters were in control of most of the Ottoman Empire with the Sultan remaining just a notional figure.

      That you have a serious reading comprehension predicament is no secret. Nowhere did I say that “Armenians owed their existence to Bolsheviks”. I said: “Ironically, modern Armenia also owes its existence […] to the forced incorporation into the Soviet Union.” Need I say that this should be read in a negative tonality?

      The lack of adequate checks and balances and the lack of adequate protection for human rights are not panaceas for all woes that exist in ANY form of government, democracy included. The Athenian democracy failed, among other reasons, because: (1) its proceedings have become dominated by an elite, read: a group of oligarchs; (2) the people could be swayed and manipulated by an elitist orator or a political leader or a popular demagogue; and (3) the majority—which represents the cornerstone of a democracy, right?—could too easily get carried away with impulses and emotions or with the lack the necessary knowledge, which the elites barred the people from having, in order to make responsible policy decisions. The founders of the U.S. did learn from the mistakes of the Athenian democracy, therefore nowhere in the Declaration of Independence does the word ‘democracy’ figure, while in their private letters the founding fathers feared democracy, wishing to establish the republican form of government.

      Another slip-up is this gem: “Had Armenia been a democracy, instead of a one-party dictatorship […].” So, First Republic of Armenia was “a one-party dictatorship” according to you? Then, four political factions represented in the parliament – Armenian Revolutionary Federation, Social-Democratic Hunchakian Party, Social-Revolutionary Party of Armenia, and People’s Party of Armenia, were, what, ploughing the sand there?

  13. Avigdor Lieberman is a psychopath. The guy loves to lie and argue shamelessly in any part of Israeli domestic affairs. He is on record saying that the Armenian Genocide will never be recognized by Israel because it goes against their interests.

    We need to stop caring what Israel does, because they are an arrogant nation with no respect for the sovereignty of the neighbouring Levantine nations. They have displaced Armenian communities that have peacefully resided there for a century, and that is a clear indication that they do not care for us.

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