Azerbaijan on Monday condemned Israel’s recognition of the Armenian genocide, calling it a “distortion of the historical facts,” and urged the government to reverse the move.

Israel formally recognized the 1915 Armenian genocide for the first time Sunday amid the collapse in its ties with Turkey, which denies that the World War I-era atrocities constitute a genocide.

Azerbaijan, which has fought multiple rounds of conflict with neighboring Armenia, takes the same position as Turkey.

However, unlike Ankara, Baku has maintained close relations with Israel and has been a key regional partner to Jerusalem in recent years. Israel, which is very reliant on Azerbaijani oil, is a major arms supplier to Baku.

“The decision by the Israeli government concerning the so-called ‘Armenian genocide’ is a matter of serious concern,” Baku’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

“The distortion of the historical facts surrounding the events of 1915, and the reduction of a complex historical issue to a political decision without a sound legal or scholarly basis, are unacceptable,” Baku said.

The statement added: “Such actions do not contribute to reconciliation or mutual understanding. Instead, they deepen existing divisions and undermine efforts to achieve lasting peace and stability in the region.”

“We call on the Israeli government to reconsider this decision,” it said.

The Israeli government voted Sunday to recognize the Armenian genocide........

© The Times of Israel