Spirit of Armenian diaspora in Jerusalem: Does it affect Azerbaijani-Israeli relations?

By Sabina Mammadli

Talking about Israel-Azerbaijan relations and Israel’s support to Azerbaijan, the perspective we mostly reconsider is the geographic location of Azerbaijan.

Sabina Mammadli

But I would like to stress out one more thing which is very of importance for Azerbaijan while it had challenging time recently during diaspora wars. It is very popular in Azerbaijan that Armenian diaspora has deep roots and occasionally it gets harder to deal with.

Recent skirmishes on the Azerbaijan-Armenia border transferred into foreign countries in a flash as a conflict between Armenians and Azerbaijanis flared up in mid-July. Despite the anger and the violence both had shown towards each other especially in Russia (where the significant number of both working and living), in Europe and the U.S.A, it seemed quick to identify the angriest side by watching some of the videos.

While in the background Armenian diaspora and lobby organizations tried the best in the countries mentioned demanding the United States to cut off military aid to Azerbaijan, in the meantime, Armenia itself expressed concerns about Israel’s supply of weapons to Azerbaijan and an article entitled “Israel should rethink its relationship with Azerbaijan” was published.

Today diaspora plays a vital role away from home, in foreign policy of the country of origin, this is especially true for Armenia. This article depicts the oldest Armenian diaspora so far in Jerusalem and its role in diaspora politics: Can we consider Jerusalem as a spiritual stronghold of the Armenian Diaspora? What kind of negative impacts do they have on Israeli-Azerbaijani relations?

Historical background

The first Armenian migration to Jerusalem began in IV century to exercise their pilgrimage. Since they started to build churches alongside with other Christians, Armenian devotees did not separate Armenian churches from Latin (Roman) Catholic and Greek Orthodox churches but Armenians had their own Patriarchate in Jerusalem.

Map of the religious quarters in Jerusalem Old City (Source: ABC)

Very unpopular reason behind it would be due to gain proper financial assistance and other forms of aid for the church population for the sake of Christianity. After some years not all Armenians were dependent on the Armenian Patriarchate. They were becoming very local surrounded by Arabian culture and traditions whether they were religious Christians or not, this cultural impact developed even more deeply in course of time.

Many Armenians spoke Arabic, English, German while knowing Armenian with a particular accent. I believe that some young Armenians forgot their original language being assimilated within Arab society. But the ones who had still close ties with the Jerusalem Patriarchate were still getting financial aid and helping local Armenians to start their businesses and make a life in the Armenian Quarter of Jerusalem. A number of Armenians were living in Jerusalem while Haifa, Jaffa, Nazareth (now Israeli cities) had their Armenian population too.

During the Ottoman period, the central patriarchate was perceived to be located in Istanbul till 1915 Relocation and Resettlement law (known as Tehcir law). After the assassination of prominent Armenian committee leaders and deportation of Armenians from Anatolia, Jerusalem became home to many Armenian refugees who were rather divergent than original Armenian community of Palestine in terms of some traditions, language etc.

There were many who were effected by Armenian Nationalist Movement then revived in Anatolia. They are immediately assisted by the Jerusalem Patriarchate for housing and the settlement. Patriarchate got more financial aid through some charity organizations that helped not only Armenians also Arabs in difficult times on the verge of hunger and despair meanwhile Ottoman Empire was experiencing the worst days at that time.

Armenian refugees were angry and desperate. There was quite visible unlikeness between local Armenian population and the refugees. Soon Armenian refugees constituted the majority and they had brought some political and nationalist ideologies of well-known parties (Dashnaksutyun) and organizations with them to Jerusalem. After a couple of years those desperate refugees became very active, they got some jobs, opened clubs even reached wealth and left the Old City in Jerusalem to the “New City”.

Israel appears on the world map

After the establishment of State of Israel and several wars with Arabs, Armenians left Palestine, they mostly migrated to U.S.A. and Canada. Armenians who had illustrious political, nationalistic views upraised by their anger or hostility against the Ottomans brought their ideology and philosophy back from the edge of death and stimulated in the U.S.A, Canada, some European countries as well as in Palestine and Israel.

They have remained very distinct and marginalized as a community in foreign countries with the help of emotional and powerful doctrines and ideologies interfused by tragic events of 1915. However Azerbaijani diaspora in those countries has nothing similar with Armenians, so that Azerbaijanis living abroad suffered a lot during recent so called “diaspora war”.

Conclusion

There you see how recent history makes things clearer. By time some Armenians became citizens of Israel, although the number of Armenian population in Jerusalem decreased substantially, however, ANCA (Armenian National Committee of America) calls the community “the most Armenian”.

It looks like there is a blood history in minds that is impossible to forget about for most Armenians. They have been living in small communities but have strong ideologies.

Most Jerusalem Armenians have Israeli IDs but hold Jordanian passports to travel and keep in touch with neighboring Arabic countries and probably with Armenians living there. Jerusalem Armenians try to stay as a key community in Israeli-Palestinian negotiations on determining the status of Jerusalem, yet they had not been taken into consideration much. But if you ask them about Jerusalem, their answer will probably be like “we don’t go anywhere as an old community living here for centuries”.

It might seem as “a little problem” to Israel as soon as Armenian community stays enraged about military partnership of Israel and Azerbaijan all the time. In 2016, April war made Armenians of Jerusalem stand up against Israel condemning its support to Azerbaijan in military and defense sphere. So many questions raised worrying about Azerbaijan-Israel friendship still deeply concerns Armenian diaspora, even Armenian government itself.

Author: Sabina Mammadli – Graduated from the Academy of Public Administration of the Republic of Azerbaijan (APA), International Relations. Engaged in studies on the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict, Nagorno-Karabakh, as an independent researcher for more than a year. Former project manager on peaceful conflict resolution. She mainly writes about Eastern Europe and  Caucasus.

(The views expressed in this article belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of World Geostrategic Insights).