Israel postpones vote on Armenian Genocide recognition

A parliamentary vote on recognizing the Armenian Genocide in Israel has been suspended, according to a report published on Monday by local outlet JNS who cited an unnamed Israeli official.

The outlet cited “a delicate diplomatic time” as the primary reason, pointing to turbulence following the breakdown of a ceasefire with Iran.

Also read: Armenian Genocide recognition heads to Israeli parliament after government vote

Late last month, the Israeli government unanimously backed recognition of the Armenian Genocide and forwarded the decision to parliament. However, the current Knesset is set to go into summer recess at the end of this week and will remain out of session until nationwide elections scheduled for late October.

In the past, Israel has refrained from officially labeling the 1915 massacres of Armenians in the Ottoman Empire as genocide, widely seen as linked to its economic and political ties with Ankara and Baku. However, relations between Israel and Turkey have sharply deteriorated following the 2023 Gaza crisis.

Reacting to the government’s decision last month, Turkey accused Israel of what it described as “attempts to cover up the genocide in Gaza,” while Azerbaijan took a more restrained position, urging Israel to reconsider while maintaining a diplomatic tone.

Armenia’s prime minister Nikol Pashinyan has said he would not comment on the matter, effectively suggesting that ignoring the development was the best course of action for Yerevan.

Also read: Pashinyan distances Armenia from Israel’s genocide recognition push

In recent years, Armenia shifted away from pursuing international genocide recognition as it is trying to normalize relations with Turkey after decades of animosity. The latest efforts, ongoing since 2022, have so far yielded limited results: Ankara lifted its restriction on direct trade with Yerevan this May, but keeps the shared border closed and has not moved to establish diplomatic relations so far.