Eldad Ben Aharon’s book on the geopolitics of denying the Armenian Genocide published

Edinburgh University Press has announced the publication of Dr. Eldad Ben Aharon’s book, Israeli–Turkish Relations at the End of the Cold War: The Geopolitics of Denying the Armenian Genocide. The book examines how covert cooperation between Ankara and Jerusalem in the 1980s was profoundly shaped by Turkey’s determination to block international recognition of the Armenian Genocide. Drawing on declassified American and Israeli archival materials alongside 30 original oral-history interviews, Eldad Ben Aharon reveals the hidden diplomatic calculations that underpinned this uneasy alignment.

Against the backdrop of Cold War geopolitics, Israel quietly accommodated Turkey’s denial policies, prioritizing strategic interests over historical justice. Ben Aharon demonstrates how Turkey’s military leadership played a decisive role in easing tensions with Israel following years of estrangement, while the rise of Turgut Özal marked a turning point in strengthening bilateral ties. At the same time, internal divisions within Israel’s diplomatic corps exposed deep moral and political dilemmas: how to safeguard Israel’s standing in Washington and Brussels while tacitly supporting Ankara’s position on the Armenian Genocide.