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My Ally’s Enemy?

BY ARMEN S. MARTIN

There is an old maxim in politics that says that my enemy’s enemy is my friend. Much of our politics revolves around this concept as coalitions are built based on mutual hatred. Anyone who has actually worked in politics though knows that this is a very dangerous maxim to follow as not only do the interests of various groups aligned against a common enemy frequently diverge, but coalitions based on mutual enmity don’t last for very long.

Now apply this concept in reverse. Is my ally’s enemy my enemy? No rational actor would believe that to be the case as creating new enemies when they would not otherwise exist is a fool’s errand. That is particularly true in the sphere of international politics.

This brings me to Israel’s current entanglement in the war in Artsakh. Under the maxim of my enemy’s enemy is my friend, it makes some geopolitical sense for Israel to be friendly with Azerbaijan given that both are enemies (outright and otherwise) with Iran. Further, Israel has traditionally been aligned against Russia and until the rise of Erdogan, enjoyed friendly relations with Turkey. That is not great for Armenia as Iran and Russia are the only neighbors of Armenia who have supported it against the illegal blockades by Turkey and Azerbaijan.

But with the recent war launched against Armenia and Artsakh by Azerbaijan with the enthusiastic support morally, financially and militarily of Turkey, Israel finds itself in a situation where it is actively aiding the murder of Armenians seeking only to protect their homeland. This is a particularly sensitive issue among Armenians. We can understand why Syrian and Pakistani jihadist mercenaries would go to war against infidels. What we cannot understand is that the one nation which is so thoroughly intertwined with our own given our shared history of genocide and holocaust would actively aid our enemies in the murder of our brothers and sisters.

Israel has been selling drones to Azerbaijan for many years. Many in Israel has spoken against this given the fact that Azerbaijan is the aggressor in the clashes with Armenia but that has not deterred the current government which has followed prior Labor governments in military relationships with Azerbaijan and Turkey. Now Israel is serving as a hub for Turkish/Azeri operations during this war. Supplies are being sent by and through Israel directly to Azerbaijan right now.

Armenia is not Israel’s enemy. Armenia is one of the few countries in the region to have an embassy in Israel despite the harm that could do to its critical relationship with Iran. Armenia relies on Iran for much of its imported goods given the illegal Turkish and Azeri blockades of Armenia. Further, Armenia has repeatedly reached out to establish a closer political and economic relationship with Israel with mixed success.

All of this is why Israel’s ongoing military support for Azerbaijan in its aggression against Armenia and Artsakh is morally reprehensible. We need our Jewish brothers and sisters to speak up forcefully in their synagogues and political organizations that Israel cannot actively support the continuation of attacks on Armenia and to use its influence in Azerbaijan to put an end to the violence. We have a shared bond. As a Jewish friend of mine told me recently, Israel’s actions in this regard are taking it farther from Hashem. It is time to stop.


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