Across the Western world in recent days, Azerbaijan has been under attack for reclaiming all of Karabakh, even though the area has been recognized as part of Azerbaijan according to four UN Security Council resolutions. This remains the case, even though Azerbaijan started the recent anti-terror operation that led to this development after six of their civilians were attacked in a landmine explosion.
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As an Israeli, I see many parallels between Azerbaijan reclaiming all of Karabakh today and Israel reclaiming Judea and Samaria in 1967. In both instances, both countries reclaimed lands that rightfully belonged to them according to international law after their adversaries waged aggression against them. In both instances, many of the locals left on their own volition out of fear, while too many falsely accused them of waging ethnic cleansing.
Israeli-American journalist Nurit Greenger stated that all of Azerbaijan's actions since the anti-terror operation have been justified: "I think the policy Azerbaijan applies in order to put a final law and order in Karabakh is well thought and well executed. I wish Israel had done the same after the Six Day War, claiming they liberated the territory that was theirs and it was never recognized by any other country and not after two decades, in 1993, coming up with the crazy idea of "disputed territory" which the Arabs fast bought and their propaganda machine convinced the world it is just so "disputed territory" without even fact-checking. A lie the world so easily bought. Living in Los Angeles, one of the largest Armenian expat communities is right next door, in the city of Glendale. These Armenians are propagandists and brainwashed. They succeeded for 30 years to convince the world Azerbaijan is evil; time to turn the ties."
Azerbaijani journalist Anastasia Lavrina concurred, stressing that contrary to the Armenian propaganda, Azerbaijan's actions were justified: "We live in a very historic time. In a period of less than twenty-four hours, Azerbaijan launched very successful anti-terrorist measures in the Karabakh region of Azerbaijan against illegal Armenian forces, which were staying illegally in the Karabakh region of Azerbaijan, despite the fact that it said in the trilateral statement that Armenia was obliged to withdraw its armed forces from the Karabakh region of Azerbaijan, while Russian peacekeepers were coming to the region. Three years passed and Armenia did not fulfill its obligation. Those illegal armed forces continued to destabilize the situation and put a lot of mines targeting both civilians and the military in Azerbaijan."
Azerbaijan's Ambassador to Israel Mukhtar Mammadov stated in an event held in honor of the 44-day Patriotic War that liberated Karabakh: "The national leader of the Azerbaijani nation Heydar Aliyev and President Ilham Aliyev supported resolving the conflict peacefully. Azerbaijanis did not want war. We did not want the death toll to rise among soldiers and civilians." However, he noted that the Armenians left Azerbaijan little choice but to wage both the Second Karabakh War and the subsequent anti-terror operation: "Armenian sabotage groups infiltrated the liberated lands of Azerbaijan and placed landmines. 60 Azerbaijani civilians were victims of landmines. During the last explosion of landmines, civilians and policemen lost their lives. Before the establishment of the checkpoint on the Lachin Road, Armenia was illegally transporting mines, weapons, and soldiers to Karabakh. During the local anti-terror operation, we found those landmines that were planted there recently."
Now, Lavrina notes that Azerbaijan is making great efforts to integrate the Armenians who choose not to leave Karabakh into Azerbaijani society. She noted that meetings have been held with local Armenian leaders in order to discuss the "re-integration needs of those Armenians. Immediately when some Armenians said that they needed some humanitarian aid, the Azerbaijani government immediately sent all of the requirements on the Khankendi Road. It was successfully delivered. The Armenians living in the Karabakh region of Azerbaijan are our citizens and they will have to have our passports. They will be equally treated like all other ethnic groups in Azerbaijan and there is no doubt that it will be like this."
The Azerbaijani Ambassador concurred with Lavrina: "There was an explosion in a gas station and we sent firefighters to extinguish the fire and treat the wounded people that suffered from the explosion. Azerbaijan considers them as its citizens and we treat everyone equally regardless of their ethnic identity."
Lavrina concluded: "As an ethnic Russian, I can say that we have the largest Russian community in the South Caucuses of more than 120,000 people. Our rights are always treated equally. The rights of Armenians in Karabakh will be respected in accordance with the laws and constitution of Azerbaijan. All of those who want to leave are permitted to do so. There are some already going to Armenia and they have Armenian passports. If they want to live in Armenia or some other country, we won't keep them here by force. They can leave and go wherever they want. But the rest who want to stay here are our citizens and they will be treated equally. We believe it will finally bring peace as there is no longer a Karabakh issue between Armenia and Azerbaijan. We hope now that both sides can now proceed to a peace agreement."
Instead of giving Azerbaijan the Israel treatment, Israelis should support Azerbaijan's commendable efforts to apply Azerbaijani multi-culturalism in Karabakh. It should be noted that thanks to Azerbaijan's multi-culturalism policy, prejudice and hatred are alien to Azerbaijani culture. This is why despite suffering for decades due to a brutal conflict with Armenia, they want to integrate Armenians as Azerbaijani citizens and are not kicking them out of their homes. Armenians choosing to leave anyway is not ethnic cleansing. It is not a war crime. It just means some Armenians hate Azerbaijanis so much that they refuse to live beside them as equal citizens. Nothing more. Nothing less. Israelis should support Azerbaijan at every available opportunity for their love and tolerance of the other, and not join the choir spouting baseless hatred and venom.
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