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Azerbaijan Slams Ally Israel’s Recognition of Armenian Genocide
Azerbaijan said the move could hurt bilateral ties and deepen regional divisions, as more than two dozen countries already recognize the killings.
On Monday, Azerbaijan denounced Israel's decision to recognize the World War I massacres of Armenians as a genocide, with the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry calling the move of "serious concern."
Successive Israeli governments had avoided formally recognizing the Armenian Genocide to preserve relations with Turkey, Azerbaijan's closest foreign partner and the region's historical actor in the 1915 events.
Rabbi Zamir Isayev, a leader of Azerbaijan's Jewish community, criticized the decision on Monday as "wrong, one-sided and politically motivated," arguing the events of 1915 require objective historical examination.
Turkey also condemned Israel's decision on Sunday, with its Foreign Ministry claiming the recognition was a "political decision intended to whitewash crimes" committed by the Israeli army against the Palestinian population in Gaza.
More than two dozen countries recognize the killings as a genocide, while Azerbaijan and Armenia are ratcheting down tensions to finalize a comprehensive peace deal despite the diplomatic rupture.