The vote in the Israeli Knesset (parliament) on the resolution recognizing the Armenian Genocide has been suspended, an Israeli official said, JNS reports.
In late June, the Israeli government unanimously supported the initiative to recognize the Armenian Genocide. After receiving the approval of the Cabinet of Ministers, the document was to be submitted to parliament for debated.
According to JNS, the vote was suspended amid the sensitive diplomatic situation in the region. The newspaper notes that relations between Israel and Turkey have deteriorated in recent months due to the ongoing war in the Gaza Strip and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s harsh statements against Israel.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar, who introduced the initiative in the government, previously called recognition a matter of historical justice. The Israeli authorities also explained their decision by Turkey’s policy of denying historical facts, AP reports.
Ankara, in turn, stated that the Israeli initiative is political in nature.
JNS notes that the suspension of the vote may be related to international efforts to reduce tensions between Israel and Turkey. In addition, last month, Azerbaijan condemned the Israeli government’s decision to recognize the Armenian Genocide and called for the initiative to be abandoned.
The Knesset is expected to go on summer vacation at the end of the week and will not resume work until the parliamentary elections scheduled for October 27.