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Armenia–Palestine relations

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Armenia–Palestine relations
Map indicating locations of Armenia and Palestine

Armenia
Palestine

Armenian-Palestinian relations refers to relations between Armenia and Palestine. Armenia supports Palestinian statehood.[1] Armenia is an observer state of the Arab League in which Palestine is a full member. The former President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan has stated that Armenia supported the Palestinian people's self determination in an interview with Al Mayadeen.[2] President of Palestine Mahmoud Abbas has also stated that he supported the expansion of Armenia and called Armenians a "great ally of Palestine".[3] On 21 June 2024, the Armenian government recognized the State of Palestine.[4]

Armenians in Palestine

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There are currently 4,500 Armenians living in Palestine. In 1948, the total Armenian population in Palestine was 15,000.[5] Many Armenians have migrated in recent decades due to conflict and economic struggle, with thousands repatriating to Soviet Armenia or migrating to other countries during the 1948 Arab–Israeli War.[6] The presence of Armenians in the Armenian Quarter of Jerusalem goes back to the 4th century AD with the Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem being established since 638 AD.[7]

Trade

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Trade between Armenia and Palestine has risen in recent years. Exports from Palestine to Armenia include packaged medicaments and exports from Armenia to Palestine include fruit juice and chocolate.[8]

2010s

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On 20 June 2011, Fatah representative Nabil Shaath met with Foreign Minister Eduard Nalbandyan to enlist the support of Armenia in the then-upcoming application by Palestine for membership in the United Nations.[9] Afterwards, Shaath announced that he had been informed by a number of countries that they would recognize Palestine in the following weeks, and that he expected Armenia to be the first of these.[10] However, the Armenian government did not release any statement regarding the meeting. The situation in Palestine was seen as analogous by the Armenian government to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, and that any recognition of a Palestinian state by Armenia would set a precedent for the right to self-determination in that region.[11] On similar situations, President Serzh Sargsyan previously stated, "Having the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Armenia can not recognize another entity in the same situation as long as it has not recognized the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic".[12]

2020s

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In January 2020, Armenian President Armen Sarkissian visited Bethlehem and met with Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas.[13]

In November 2021, the Armenian foreign minister Ararat Mirzoyan met with his Palestinian counterpart in Paris.[14]

On 27 October 2023, Armenia was one of 121 countries to vote in favor of a General Assembly resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire to the fighting between Israel and Gaza.[15]

On 21 June 2024, the Armenian government recognized the State of Palestine in accordance with the foregoing and in line with their dedication to international law, equality, sovereignty, and the peaceful coexistence of peoples.[16]

On 27 September 2024, on the fringes of the UN General Assembly's high-level session in New York, Prime Minister of the State of Palestine Mohammad Mustafa and Armenia's Minister of Foreign Affairs Ararat Mirzoyan signed a joint communiqué on the establishment of diplomatic relations between their two nations.[17]

Cultural relations

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Outside of governmental relations, many Armenians and Palestinians look to each other in solidarity due to Israeli foreign policy and mistreatment.[18] For many years, anti-Armenian sentiment (often mixed with anti-Christian sentiment) was growing in Israel, coinciding with a general rise of Zionist nationalism. This is seen in a report done in 2009, claiming that Armenians were often spat on by Haredi and Orthodox Jews.[19] In 2023, anti-Christian hatred, alongside anti-Palestinian hatred, grew to never-before-seen levels.[20] A long standing issue between Armenia and Israel that invokes further solidarity is Israel's longstanding issue with the Armenian genocide. Its government position has avoided recognition so as to not hurt its relations with Turkey and Azerbaijan. Similarly, Israel supplying weapons to Azerbaijan has soured relations between both countries, especially due to the 2023 exodus of Nagorno-Karabakh Armenians.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Армения поддержала Палестину". Новое Время (in Russian). Retrieved 2021-12-30.
  2. ^ "President Sargsyan: Armenia supports Palestinian people's right to self-determination". armenpress.am. Retrieved 28 August 2021.
  3. ^ President Abbas Attends Christmas Celebrations of the Armenian Church, retrieved 2021-08-28
  4. ^ "Armenia's foreign ministry recognizes Palestine as a state". Jerusalem Post. 2024-06-21.
  5. ^ "Armenians in Palestine face uncertain future". aljazeera. Retrieved 28 August 2021.
  6. ^ "The Armenian Quarter in Jerusalem". www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org. Retrieved 2021-08-28.
  7. ^ Terian, Abraham. "Armenians in Jerusalem". armenianchurch-ed.net. Abraham Terian. Archived from the original on 2014-02-24. Retrieved 28 August 2021.
  8. ^ "Palestine (PSE) and Armenia (ARM) Trade | OEC". OEC - The Observatory of Economic Complexity. Archived from the original on 2021-08-29. Retrieved 2021-08-29.
  9. ^ Hayrumyan, Naira (22 June 2011). "Palestine hopes to enlist Armenia's support in independence recognition". Armenian Community and Church Council of Great Britain. Archived from the original on 27 September 2011. Retrieved 1 August 2011.
  10. ^ Sandeep (28 June 2011). "At least 24 countries recognize Palestine before September". Pisqa. Archived from the original on 29 June 2011. Retrieved 1 August 2011.
  11. ^ Tadevosyan, Ara (20 June 2011). "Should we support Palestine?". Mediamax. Archived from the original on 23 September 2018. Retrieved 1 August 2011.
  12. ^ Staff writers (4 September 2008). "Yerevan Rules Out Abkhazia, S.Ossetia Recognition". Civil Georgia. Archived from the original on 26 April 2018. Retrieved 1 August 2011.
  13. ^ 梁雨柔. "Palestinian president meets with Armenian counterpart in West Bank city of Bethlehem - Xinhua | English.news.cn". www.xinhuanet.com. Archived from the original on January 28, 2020. Retrieved 2021-08-28.
  14. ^ "Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan meets with Palestinian counterpart in Paris". armenpress.am. Retrieved 2021-11-30.
  15. ^ Wintour, Patrick (27 October 2023). "Israel-Gaza war: UN general assembly calls for 'immediate, durable humanitarian truce'". The Guardian.
  16. ^ "Statement by the Foreign Ministry of the Republic of Armenia on the recognition of the State of Palestine". Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia. 21 June 2024. Retrieved 23 June 2024.
  17. ^ "Meeting of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Armenia and Prime Minister of Palestine". Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia. 28 September 2024. Retrieved 29 September 2024.
  18. ^ Piligian, Stepan (2024-04-10). "The elephant in the room…The tragic disrespect of Israel towards Armenians". The Armenian Weekly. Retrieved 2024-06-06.
  19. ^ "Mouths filled with hatred". The Jerusalem Post | JPost.com. 2009-11-26. Retrieved 2024-06-06.
  20. ^ Staff, Al Jazeera. "'Death to Christians': Violence steps up under new Israeli gov't". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 2024-06-06.
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