Armenia recognizes the State of Palestine -opinion

Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan and Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa signed a joint communiqué for the establishment of diplomatic relations between Armenia and Palestine. On June 21, the Armenian Foreign Ministry officially recognized the state of Palestine, making Armenia the 149th country to take this step.

The formalization of Armenian-Palestinian diplomatic relations comes at a complicated time for the State of Israel.

The official establishment of diplomatic relations between Armenia and Palestine comes at a time when Israel just eliminated Hezbollah terrorist leader Hassan Nasrallah in the hopes of derailing the Iran-backed terrorist groups that are presently fighting against the Jewish state. Many could view Armenia’s establishment of diplomatic relations with Palestine at this time as a move designed to give Hamas, Islamic Jihad, and other Iran-backed terrorist groups breathing room to continue to wage a violent struggle against Israel.

As we speak, these terrorist groups continue to attack Israel. Last week, the Iran-backed terrorist groups in Iraq attacked Eilat. This comes after the Houthis in Yemen took responsibility for an attack on Tel Aviv, and Hezbollah itself rained down a series of missiles at central Israel a week earlier which targeted areas of the country previously not under rocket fire, including Netanya, Kfar Yona, and Even Yehuda. At a time like this, Armenia recognizing Palestine is a victory for terrorism.

Although the PA is not the same as the Iran-backed terrorist groups fighting against Israel, it is critical to recall that the PA has given emotional support to these groups. According to Palestinian Media Watch, “Ignoring the thousands of rockets and drones fired at northern Israel by the Iranian-backed Lebanese terror organization Hezbollah since the start of the 2023 Gaza war, the Palestinian Authority and its ruling party, Fatah, continue to express support for Hezbollah against Israel by painting Hezbollah as a victim.”

Azerbaijan in contrast with Armenia 

Following Israel’s recent pager attacks, in which Hezbollah has announced that at least 38 of its members were killed, both the PA and Fatah hurried to express their support for “sister Lebanon.” PA head Mahmoud Abbas’s office “condemned” the attacks as “acts of terror,” claiming they “harmed innocent civilians.” Also ignoring Hezbollah’s numerous attacks on Israeli civilian areas – and the murder of over 40 Israelis, including 12 children who were playing soccer – Abbas’s adviser Mahmoud al-Habbash accused Israel of “escalating” the situation and seeking to “undermine the region’s stability” with its “aggressive operations.”

Fatah also condemned Israel’s “aggressive and criminal operation,” stressing its continued support for Lebanon and its “great appreciation for the support” that Lebanon – i.e., terrorist organization Hezbollah – “has given the [Palestinian] cause.” In addition to promising to “continue on the path of struggle” by committing more terrorist attacks, Fatah has also directly called on Hezbollah to continue attacking Israel. Recently, top PA/Fatah official Jibril Rajoub encouraged Hezbollah and Iran to “punish the Israeli enemy.”

In contrast, Azerbaijan has not issued any statements in support of the Palestinians at this crucial time when Israel eliminated Nasrallah. The only action that Azerbaijan took was to cancel its flights to Israel due to “security concerns.” It also advised its citizens not to visit Israel and the Palestinian Authority at this time again because of security concerns. Azerbaijan has not expressed any hostility toward Israel as the Jewish state continues to fight against Hezbollah, Hamas, the Houthis, and other proxies of Iran.

This shows why Israelis should appreciate Azerbaijan and the friendship that it offers to the Jewish people. During our difficult moments, Azerbaijan is there, standing beside us, offering solidarity and support. In fact, the economic relationship between Azerbaijan and Israel continues to blossom despite Israel’s war against Iran and its proxies. 

Azerbaijan is one of the few countries where it is safe for Israelis to travel despite the war in Gaza and Lebanon. Antisemitism is alien to the Azerbaijani culture.It is for this reason that Israelis should support Azerbaijan and condemn Armenia for supporting Iran’s proxies, especially at this critical time.

One of the reasons Azerbaijan is so understanding of Israel is that it must deal with a biased approach similar to the one Israel must grapple with. For example, Holland called Azerbaijan’s control of Karabakh the “takeover of Nagorno-Karabakh,” just as the Armenians now consider Judea and Samaria, and Gaza, to be “occupied Palestinian land” that must be liberated.

The Azerbaijanis have a rich history in Karabakh that dates back to antiquity, just as the Jewish connection to Judea and Samaria dates back to ancient times. Four UN Security Council resolutions have recognized that Karabakh is part of Azerbaijan, just as the Mandate for Palestine recognized Judea and Samaria as part of Israel.

Azerbaijan and Israel are facing the same struggle to get their rights recognized by biased states such as Armenia and Holland, which prefer to condemn both countries rather than recognize their historical rights.

The writer is a Middle East scholar and commentator on the region.