Israel’s government decision to officially recognize the Armenian Genocide was unanimously approved at the end of June, but the vote in the Knesset never took place following political and diplomatic maneuvering behind the scenes. As the Israeli newspaper Maariv writes, contrary to assessments claiming that the decision was blocked as a result of direct intervention by the prime minister’s office, the key role in this process was played by the ultra-Orthodox parties, which acted in the Knesset after appeals from representatives of Azerbaijan.

“On June 28, the Israeli government unanimously approved Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar’s proposal for the official recognition of the Armenian Genocide. The government resolution stated that the State of Israel recognizes the Genocide committed against the Armenian people at the end of the Ottoman Empire, and also condemns any attempts to deny, diminish, or distort the historical truth.

Even before the decision was approved, Baku had made it clear that it opposed this step. As Maariv learned, two days before the government meeting, on June 26, a phone conversation took place between Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar and his Azerbaijani counterpart Jeyhun Bayramov. During the conversation, the Azerbaijani foreign minister said that Israel’s recognition of the Armenian Genocide could harm the complex relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan, as well as undermine reconciliation efforts between the countries, which are part of the peace plan being advanced by the United States under the leadership of President Donald Trump.

According to informed sources, Bayramov conveyed a message to Sa’ar stating that Baku was dissatisfied with Israel’s move and would have preferred that the decision not be approved at the government level. However, the Israeli government did not respond to the request and approved the decision without objections.

After the government approved the decision, it was planned to submit it to the Knesset for approval. The proposal was twice placed on the agenda as urgent, but both times it was removed and ultimately was never put to a vote. Behind this process were the ultra-Orthodox parties Shas and United Torah Judaism.

According to information obtained by Maariv, in the days following the adoption of the government decision, several representatives of Azerbaijan’s Jewish community, including Rabbi Zamir Isayev of Baku’s Sephardic community, held a number of meetings with leading ultra-Orthodox members of the Knesset. During these talks, it was argued that approval of the decision in the Knesset could harm both reconciliation efforts between Armenia and Azerbaijan and the strategic relations between Israel and Azerbaijan, which have significantly strengthened in recent times.

Azerbaijan’s Jews also reminded them of Azerbaijan’s strategic importance to Israel in confronting Iran, given their shared border with the Islamic Republic, the close military-technical cooperation between Tel Aviv and Baku, as well as the supply of more than 40% of Israel’s oil and other energy resources. Following these appeals, ultra-Orthodox Knesset members began acting to block the vote. They informed senior representatives of the Likud party that if the issue were brought to a vote in the Knesset plenum, the Shas and United Torah Judaism factions would vote against it, and the proposal might fail.

At the same time, senior opposition representatives were working to create a blocking bloc in the Knesset against this decision. The prime minister’s advisers analyzed the situation in parliament and concluded that there was no guaranteed majority to approve the decision. As a result, Netanyahu decided not to bring the issue to a vote and to limit it to a government decision.

Last week, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev received Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa at his residence in Baku, and the presidential administration’s statement emphasized Azerbaijan’s support for the creation of a Palestinian state with its capital in East Jerusalem — an exceptional and highly unusual event. This step was perceived as a signal of criticism toward Israeli policy.

The statement also noted that Azerbaijan continues to provide assistance to the Palestinians, including through UNRWA, and plans to build a secondary school in the Palestinian Authority. In Tel Aviv, these statements were closely monitored against the backdrop of tensions that arose after the government’s decision. In Israel, Azerbaijan continues to be regarded as one of the most important strategic partners in the region. For many years, military, intelligence, and economic cooperation between the countries has been strengthening, and Azerbaijan’s geographic position on the border with Iran gives it particular importance for Israel’s security system.

The struggle surrounding recognition of the Armenian Genocide brought together historical and moral considerations, security interests, regional relations, and the political balance of power in the Knesset. In the end, the recognition remained enshrined only at the level of a government decision, without Knesset approval. At present, Azerbaijan’s ambassador is on a planned vacation. In addition, there is currently no dialogue between Baku and Tel Aviv at any level.”