Armenian Jews worry about consequences of arms deal between Armenia and Iran, local rabbi says.
Jul 30, 2024, 9:24 AM (GMT+3)
The destroyed synagogue in Yerevan, ArmeniaCourtesy of the photographer
The secret arms deal between Tehran and Armenia, which was revealed by the London-based Persian-language opposition TV Iran international brings fear to the Jewish communities on the Caucasus, as its consequences threaten not just Azerbaijan and Israel.
The huge half-billion-dollars deal includes not only supplying Armenia with the same suicide drones, Russia uses in Ukraine and Hezbollah uses against Israel, cruise missiles, and an air defense systems. It also envisions intelligence cooperation, military relations, training, and the establishment of Iranian bases on Armenian soil.
It is apparent that it will fuel the rising tide of antisemitism in
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Armenia itself, where its only synagogue has been targeted with arson four times in the past year, and public Neo-Nazi parades have been held. The Jewish community’s fears are already exacerbated by Armenia’s recent recognition of a Palestinian state and its condemnation of violence against civilians in Gaza. The Israeli Foreign Ministry has summoned the Armenian ambassador for a reprimand, highlighting the escalating tensions.
“Antisemitism in Armenia is fueled by accusations that Israel has provided Azerbaijan with weapons used against Armenia in their conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh,” said Rabbi Zamir Isayev, president and rabbi of the Sephardi-Georgian community in Azerbaijan.
He added that Armenia’s strategic alliance with Iran and the purchase of weapons indicate a readiness for further conflict in the region. Iran supplying Armenia in exchange for military cooperation, training, and the establishment of Iranian bases in Armenia poses a strategic threat to the region and could turn Armenia into another Iranian proxy, similar to Lebanon and the Houthis, the rabbi said.
He further stressed that the United States should also be deeply concerned about this deal, which could destabilize the region. Recently, the Iranian ambassador to Armenia challenged the US in a radio interview, asserting that America should not interfere in the relations between Armenia and Iran.
According to Janatan Sayeh, research analyst at the US Foundation for Defense of Democracies, the deal “enables Iran to counter Israel’s relationship with Azerbaijan”, as Tehran’s disdain for Israel extends to countries with ties to Jerusalem. “Yerevan can now pose a serious threat to Azerbaijan, while Iran backs up its stance against countries receiving Israeli technology”, he noted.
According to the Israeli Alma Research Center 2023 report. Iran started leveraging its relationship with Armenia to counter Israel several years ago. The report revealed that Iran used Armenia as a transit point for military equipment heading to Syria and Lebanon, impacting Israel. The report also noted Iran’s support for Armenia in its conflict with Azerbaijan and mentioned the presence of the IRGC (Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, designated in the US as a “terrorist” group in 2019) – in the Nagorno-Karabakh region, while it was controlled by Armenian separatists.
According to the Washington Times, the US diplomats concluded in late 2008 that the government of Armenia had supplied Iran with rockets and machine guns later used to kill American troops in Iraq, according to State Department cables disclosed by WikiLeaks. John D. Negroponte, deputy secretary of state at the time, wrote a December 2008 letter to Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan expressing “deep concerns about Armenia’s transfer of arms to Iran which resulted in the death and injury of US soldiers in Iraq.”