YEREVAN (Azatutyun.am)—Armenia has reportedly inaugurated its embassy in Israel one year after deciding to upgrade diplomatic relations with the Jewish state.
The opening of the Armenian Embassy in Tel Aviv, initially slated for the beginning of this year, was delayed by the coronavirus pandemic.
A Russian-language news website, Vesti Izrail, reported that a senior Israeli Foreign Ministry official attended the opening ceremony held on Thursday. It quoted the official, Itzhak Carmel-Kagan, as saying that the embassy will facilitate a “constructive dialogue” between the two countries.
The Armenian mission located inside a Tel Aviv office building began providing consular services last month. Also, Ambassador Armen Smbatyan met with leaders of the Armenian community in the Holy Land, including Jerusalem-based Patriarch Nourhan Manougian.
The Armenian government decided to open the embassy in September 2019, saying that it will not only “give new impetus” to its relations with Israel but also help to secure the Armenian Apostolic Church’s continued presence in the Holy Land.
The decision was hailed by Israeli leaders but criticized by some officials in Iran, a key foreign partner of Armenia. The Armenian ambassador to Iran, Artashes Tumanyan, assured a senior Iranian Foreign Ministry official in June that Yerevan remains committed to its “friendly” relationship with the Islamic Republic despite its desire to improve Armenian-Israeli ties.
Armenia and Israel established diplomatic relations in 1992 but have had no embassies in each other’s capitals until now. The former Armenian ambassadors to the Jewish state were based in Paris, Cairo and Yerevan.
Armenian-Israeli relations have long been frosty, reflecting differing geopolitical priorities of the two states. Yerevan has repeatedly expressed concern over billions of dollars worth of advanced weapons which Israeli defense companies have sold, with the Israeli government’s blessing, to Azerbaijan over the past decade.
“Israel should stop this deadly business with Azerbaijan,” Armenian Foreign Zohrab Mnatsakanyan said following deadly fighting that broke out on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border in July.
The Azerbaijani army attacked Armenian military and civilian targets with Israeli-manufactured drones during the weeklong hostilities. The Armenian military claimed to have shot down or intercepted 13 of them.
It’s a good business for Israel to sell drones to Azerbaijan, they build them, Armenia shots them down, Israel should channel some of these funds to Armenia.
I can fully understand now why Pashinyan’s approval rating among the citizens of Armenia is going downhill the way it is. Even the Armenian Youth Federation (AYF), over here in Yerevan, has “deemed the current government’s policies over the previous two years to be ‘anti-nationalist.'”
Opening an embassy in Israel, is another example of anti-Armenian nationalism being displayed by the Pashinyan administration. Has Pashinyan already forgotten that up to a little while ago, Israel had been vigorously assisting Turkey for many years in its endless, brutal campaign of Armenian Genocide denialism? Has Pashinyan already forgotten that Israel happens to be the biggest supplier of military arms to Azerbaijan (our mortal enemy), having sold to them at least five billion dollars worth of highly sophisticated military weapons (by now, the figure must be around ten billion dollars), which are being used to launch terrorist attacks against Armenian villages (by the border), as well as being used for killing Armenia’s precious soldiers? This makes Israel an accomplice to Azerbaijan’s endless, brutal campaign of terrorism against Hayastan and Artsakh. Israel, is therefore an enemy to Hayastan, Artsakh, and the entire worldwide Armenian community.
In addition, Pashinyan is potentially causing harm to Armenia’s important relationship with Iran (the only friendly neighbor that Armenia has, who also happens to be a big ally) by foolishly attempting to please both the Israeli and U.S. governments by opening an embassy in Israel. Pashinyan, obviously doesn’t understand that the extremely powerful Israel lobby (who entirely controls America’s Middle East foreign policy) has been attempting to persuade the president of the USA to launch an all-out military invasion of Iran (which would obviously be devastating for Armenia), just the same way that they successfully persuaded Bush to launch an all-out military invasion of Iraq in 2003, dragging America into a war, which left Iraq in total ruin, and which ended up being very costly to America and its citizens.
:Pashinyan, obviously doesn’t understand that the extremely powerful Israel lobby (who entirely controls America’s Middle East foreign policy).”……………..that’s the very reason you put an embassy there. Keep your enemies closer..
As for Iran, it knows well that the Israeli army and intelligence has stations based in Azerbaijan directly monitoring Iran and yet Iran says nothing to Azerbaijan and maintains friendly Azeri relations? Why is that? As for Pahinyan, i don’t know much about him, but the last 3 ‘presidents’ of Armenia were the worst ever, who did NOTHING but line their own pockets, steal elections and cause mass emigration.. Basic traitors to all Armenians. The first guy wanted to cede lands back , after spilling blood to liberate them The last guy actually lost lands in the 4 day war. The middle traitor was a total thief who is on trial for crimes.. Pashinyan has been way more aggressive militarily and inflicts harm to Azerbaijan. AND LIBERATED MORE LAND.. yes this riles Turkey but protecting yourself will do that in return..We should all join the Armenian Army and this fight and stop criticizing OUR OWN!