By Harut Sassounian / Publisher, The California Courier /
www.TheCaliforniaCourier.com
As relations between Israel and Turkey have become
increasinly 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 Pres. 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, Mr. Nalbandian managed
to meet with the President of Israel.
An article in the November 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 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.
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 must have 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.
Hiç yorum yok:
Yorum Gönder
Not: Yalnızca bu blogun üyesi yorum gönderebilir.