BY HARUT SASSOUNIAN
Israeli journalist Yossi Melman wrote a lengthy critical article in the Haaretz newspaper about Israel’s sale of banned deadly cluster bombs to Azerbaijan to kill and maim innocent Armenian civilians in Artsakh. The article, although published on Oct. 22, 2020, retains its relevance given the fact that these cluster bombs were not only used in last year’s Artsakh war by Azerbaijan, but may also be used in a future war.
Amnesty International confirmed that Azerbaijan used Israeli cluster bombs in the 2020 Artsakh war.
These lethal bombs exploded in a residential area near the city of Stepanakert, the capital of Artsakh.
“The use of cluster bombs in any circumstances is banned under international humanitarian law, so their use to attack civilian areas is particularly dangerous and will only lead to further deaths and injuries,” said Denis Krivosheev, Amnesty International’s acting chief for Eastern Europe and Central Asia. “Cluster bombs are inherently indiscriminate weapons, and their deployment in residential areas is absolutely appalling and unacceptable.”
Melman explained that “a cluster bomb is a kind of container holding a bundle of small bombs. The mother bomb explodes at a certain height and, over a wide area, scatters the smaller bombs, which explode a short time later. The munitions can be launched from cannons of various sizes, with diameters up to 155 mm, from launchers, helicopters and planes.” Children often pick up unexploded cluster bombs mistaking them for toys, resulting in their death or injury.
Melman wrote that he asked Israel’s Defense Ministry, the Israel Defense Forces and the Foreign Ministry “on whether — and if so, when — Israel supplied cluster bombs to Azerbaijan.” Not surprisingly, he received no response.
Melman remarked that Israel’s Defense Ministry, “true to its aggressive habits, is loath to give explanations and refuses to answer questions it doesn’t like. It seems to have something to hide, especially when it comes to its overly intimate relationship with Azerbaijan.”
Melman asked a pertinent question: “Why is Israel arming Azerbaijan against Armenia?” There would be a huge worldwide outcry if Armenia were to transfer missiles to Hamas or Hezbollah to attack Israeli citizens. Israel arming Azerbaijan is no different, but where is the international condemnation of Israel?
Israel used cluster bombs on several occasions: In the 1973 war against several Arab states, the wars on Lebanon in 1978, 1982 and 2006, and the Gaza war in 2008-09. Melman reported that “this led to a condemnation by then-UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, and to tension in the United States, because the firing apparently violated the restrictions on using cluster bombs when the weapon was supplied in 1976.”
The Winograd Committee, formed by the Israeli government to review the appropriateness of Israel’s military actions in Lebanon in 2006, “harshly criticized the use of cluster bombs in civilian areas,” according to Melman. It is illegal to use cluster bombs. It is also illegal for the United States to sell them to Israel, which in turn illegally sold them to Azerbaijan.
Regrettably, neither the Republic of Armenia nor the Armenian-American community complained to the American government about Israel’s illegal transfer of U.S. cluster bombs to Azerbaijan.
Melman reported that “in December 2008, the Convention on Cluster Munitions was signed in Oslo. It prohibits the use, development, manufacture, storage and transfer of cluster bombs, which it defines as ‘a conventional ammunition that is designed to disperse or release explosive submunitions’ from a container. Over 100 countries signed the accord, which went into effect in 2010.”
Israel, however, refused to join the convention that banned cluster bombs. Ironically, Israel was quick to condemn Syria for its reported use of cluster bombs inside its own country. It is not clear why Armenia refused to join the convention which would have given it a stronger footing to condemn the illegal use of cluster bombs by Azerbaijan and Turkey, neither one of which joined the convention. In addition to selling cluster bombs to Azerbaijan, Israel also sold them to Turkey, Ethiopia, Germany, India, Romania, Switzerland, Great Britain, Austria, Denmark, Norway, Chile, Colombia and Venezuela.
According to Melman, Azerbaijan was the largest market for Israeli cluster bombs, along with various cannons and rocket launchers. “Israel sold dual-purpose munitions components, which can also be used in cluster bombs, in a way that let Israel bypass the convention.”
Melman reported that, a year ago, Israeli “activist Eli Joseph, who takes part in efforts to ban weapons sales by Israel to dictatorial regimes,” petitioned in vain Israel’s High Court of Justice, “demanding that Baku and Jerusalem’s military connections be revealed. Also, Joseph and his colleagues in the Jewish Heart organization demonstrated in front of the Knesset against arms exports to Azerbaijan, under the slogan ‘No to war crimes, no to the murder of innocents.’” It is heart-warming to see righteous Israelis objecting to the immoral actions of their government.
By selling lethal weapons to the murderous regime of Azerbaijan, Israel has undermined its moral standing and has become an accomplice to Azeri war crimes.
well we can sell much more and these to the Palestinians-getting them there is not easy-but since the israelis dont give 2 hoots- we will give them to their enemies anad we know they will succeed and get a few like they allowed their muslim enemies to take some of our down- watch and see
Israel has no idea what a can of worms they have opened up by arming and supporting the dictorship nation of Azerbaijan and by being one of their most trusted suppliers of intelligence.
I once was a huge supporter of Israel and their right to exist, thanks to their arrogance and love of profits at all cost, I will strive to inform our Armenians in the diaspora to support the Palestenian cause at all costs and provide arms, weapons and support for their struggle.
I still support a two State solution, but now we must support the Palestinian cause with funds, weapon sales and a global platform of activists to give some hope, Israel decided we are the enemy and now we plan accordingly.
Lets work on supporting supplying ourselves with modern weaponry before we get overly ambitious and talk of supporting and supplying others.
I agree with Zaven. Stay out of other peoples’ wars. Armenia has, in recent years, aided and abetted the NATO occupation of, followed by NATO’s thievery of, Kosovo — in return for the U. S. State Dept.’s kick in the teeth. How smart was that?
I am of the belief that besides our two Turkish and pseudo-Turkish Azerbaijani enemies, there is a third hidden entity that is secretly planning and financing all that happens and is happening in the region and the leaders of our enemy states are the tools being used in accomplishing whatever goals this hidden entity has. Today I believe their main target is Armenia’s neighbor to the south but in order to get close to our southern neighbor to do them harm they have to get very close to our enemies who happen to share the same sentiments with them towards our southern neighbor. The problem is that by forging close relations with our enemies, directly or indirectly and intentionally or unintentionally, they are causing our nation a catastrophic harm. We need to expose that hidden entity!
I think the Palestinian cause is not just a national one and it also has a religious component to it and therefore we should stay out of it. I don’t recall even once the Palestinian authorities ever making any pro-Armenian or anti-Turkish statements in support of the Armenian cause. Why make more enemies without gaining anything? Also, it was not so long ago that the Turkish terrorist-in-chief Er-dog-an when he started having problems with the Israelis, because of the 2010 Mavi Marmara incident which resulted in the deaths of nine Turkish terrorists by the Israelis onboard that ship headed to Gaza, hosted the Palestinian leader of Hamas and gave him a hero’s welcome in the Turkish parliament. That means the leaders of the very same people you want to help are in bed with our Turkish enemy.
There are over a dozen Muslim Arab states, among them many wealthy ones, and I think they should be the ones to help Palestinians. What we should do is to expose the Israeli hypocrisy and involvement in the region on our enemy’s side by way of selling weapons to commit mass atrocities against our population and remind the Israelis that they should practice what they preach when they never lose any opportunity to remind the world of their own past atrocities. We should also put pressure on the United States, which has leverage on the Israeli leaders, to set them straight and remind them that their political pursuits can’t come at an expense to our nation even though I realize in some situations they work together against their common enemies. We need to be on top of this at all times and not let the Israelis get away with anything at all if they want the world to take them seriously as a state whose people were victims of past atrocities themselves. We need to speak up against their actions that cause us harm. We need to expose their hypocrisy in the international arena!
I agree with Ararat from the point of view of “when even a single time have Palestinians and their leaders have condemned Turkey and Azerbaijan for their atrocities against Armenia?” Actually I’ve read the opposite that Palestinian leaders which affects the Palestinian population have commented that Armenia’s wars and problems with Azerbaijan with the help of Turkey is of no concern of theirs. Now considering that and the fact that we have a lot of enemies, it doesn’t behoove Armenia to help a State who doesn’t even care about Armenia’s problems , massacres and Genocide. Besides we need all fighting personnel (soldiers), money enabling us to buy firepower, not make more enemies by helping a Estate doesn’t even give a damn about Armenia and its people.
Israel owns the West, US and Nato are are controlled by them.