Pashinyan: Netanyahu’s Statement Has Nothing to Do with Armenia or the Armenian People’s Interests

YEREVAN — Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan stated during a government press briefing on August 28 that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s remarks regarding the recognition of the Armenian Genocide “have nothing to do with the Republic of Armenia, the people of Armenia, or the interests of the Armenian nation.”

“It is clear that we must confront this situation when dealing with this issue,” Pashinyan said. “We must ask ourselves: do we want the recognition or non-recognition of the Armenian Genocide to become geopolitical bargaining chips in the hands of others, which have nothing to do with our reality, our state’s interests, or our people’s interests? Do we want the Genocide to be something uttered casually in an interview as a result of chance or confusion? I do not want us to place our martyrs in such a position. I repeat, we must focus on the interests of our state.”

He added: “So many countries have recognized the Armenian Genocide. Let’s reflect and inventory—what has the Armenian people or the Republic of Armenia actually gained from it? What have we received from these recognitions? In other words, is our goal to allow others to use our martyrs as bargaining chips in geopolitical trade-offs?”

According to Pashinyan, he has discussed this issue with international partners and even tried to understand the motivations of certain leaders who recognize the Armenian Genocide. “The main driver,” he noted, “has often been to gain more votes in elections, which has nothing to do with the interests of the Armenian people.”

For context, a few days earlier, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated in an interview with American podcaster Patrick Bet-David that he recognizes the genocide committed by the Ottoman Empire against Armenians.