Armenia–Israel relations

Relations between Armenia ( _hy. Հայաստան, _he. ארמניה) and Israel ( _he. יִשְרָאֵל, _hy. Իսրայել) are both important and historic.

Background

Jewish-Armenian relations date back to the time of Armenian emperor Tigranes the Great, who, retreating from Palestine, encouraged 10,000 Jews to join him on his return to the Kingdom of Armenia. [http://www.ncsj.org/Armenia.shtml Advocates on Behalf of Jews in Russia, Ukraine, the Baltic States, and Eurasia: Armenia and Jews] ] Israel itself is home to the Armenian Quarter of the Old City of Jerusalem. [cite web |url=http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Society_&_Culture/geo/armenianq.html|publisher=Jewish Virtual Library|title=Jerusalem - The Old City: The Armenian Quarter]

During the late 1980s, Armenian students held up Israel as a model for Armenian independence, arguing that both were fighting for their survival against much larger regional powers. [cite news
title=Armenia and Its Neighbors Only Diverge
publisher=The New York Times
author=Bill Keller
date=1988-09-11
page=E3
accessdate=2008-02-02 ] Israel was also one of the first countries to send aid to Armenia in the aftermath of the 1988 Spitak earthquake. [cite news
title=Israeli Aid For Armenia Signals Better Relations
publisher=The New York Times
author=Sabra Chartrand
date=1989-06-29
page=A8
accessdate=2008-02-02 ] [cite news
title=Israel Tends to Quake Victims, and Soviet Ties
publisher=The New York Times
author=Joel Brinkley
date=1989-08-16
page=A1
accessdate=2008-02-02 ]

Relations today

Since independence, Armenia has received support from Israel and today remains one of its major trade partners. According to the CIA World Factbook, Armenia receives 4.8% of its imports from Israel while Israel receives 7.1% of Armenia's exports. [ [https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/am.html CIA World Factbook: Armenia] ] Although both countries have diplomatic relations, neither maintains an embassy in the other country. Instead, Ehude Moshe Eytam, the Israeli ambassador to Armenia is based in Tbilisi, Georgia, and visits Yerevan twice a month.,while the Armenian ambassador to Israel stays in France. And Armenia has a consulate in Israel.

There have been several high-level official visits to Israel by Armenians in the last several years. In January 2000, former Armenian President Robert Kocharyan traveled to Israel and met with high-ranking Israeli officials, including former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak. The two sides pledged to strengthen relations and signed agreements on health and bilateral investment. [ [http://www.ncsj.org/Armenia.shtml Advocates on Behalf of Jews in Russia, Ukraine, the Baltic States and Eurasia - Armenia] ] In 2003, the Catholicos of All Armenian Karekin II visited Chief Rabbi of Israel Yona Metzger who accepted an invitation by Karekin to visit Armenia. [ [http://www.armeniandiaspora.com/forum/showthread.php?t=26904 Ara Abrahamian called to develop Armenia-Israel relations] ]

Yad Vashem, the Holocaust Memorial in Israel, has paid tribute to 10 Armenians as Righteous Among the Nations for risking their lives during the Holocaust to rescue Jews. However, because Turkey is a strategic partner of Israel and one of the few countries in the Middle East that recognizes Israel's right to exist, Israel has yet to recognize the Armenian Genocide. In the years following Armenia's independence, however, Israeli politicians, Rabbis, and the country's small Armenian community have called on Israel to do so. At the same time, Turkey has warned of harming ties with Israel if Israel or the United States recognizes the killings as genocide. [cite news
title= [http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/10/11/africa/ME-GEN-Israel-Turkey.php Israel expresses concern over Turkish-Armenian massacre dispute]
publisher=The Associated Press
date=2007-10-11
accessdate=2008-02-02 ] As of 2008, there has been an ongoing debate regarding recognition in the Knesset with Turkey lobbying hard to prevent it. [cite news
title= [http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/editorials/la-ed-armenia25apr25,0,2800027.story A Turkey-Armenia reconciliation?]
publisher=Los Angeles Times
date=2008-04-25
accessdate=2008-04-25 ] According to The Jerusalem Post, "many Israelis are eager for their country to recognize the genocide". [cite news
title= [http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1208870483112&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull Armenia's 'Christian holocaust']
publisher=The Jerusalem Post
author=David Smith
date=2008-04-25
accessdate=2008-04-25 ]

References