Analyst: Israel`s interest growth towards Transcaucasus and Central Asia is difficult to overlook
ArmInfo.The growth of Israel's interest in Transcaucasus and Central Asia from year to year is difficult to notice. Russian analyst, expert on the South Caucasus Sergey Markedonov expressed such an opinion to ArmInfo.
"In Jerusalem, Caucasus is viewed as a region adjacent to the Middle East because of geographical, military-political and economic reasons." For Israel, Armenia and Azerbaijan are neighbors of its main geopolitical opponent of Iran, while all the states of the South Caucasus are allies or opponents involved In the Middle East processes, key non-regional actors in US and Russia, "he said.
At the same time, according to the analyst's estimates, it is rather difficult to classify the Caucasus as one of the most important priorities of Israeli foreign policy. In his view, much more Israel is concerned about the Middle East: the settlement of the Palestinian conflict, a sharp confrontation with Iran, relations with the Arab world, in particular, with neighboring Egypt and Turkey.
However, during previous 25 years the situation, in Markedonov's view, was not standing still. Complicated and contradictory changes in the relations between Turkey and Israel led to a crisis and even a "cold peace" that left an unpleasant residue by December 2015. The growing Islamisation of Turkish politics, among other things, is based on "Palestinophilism." The positions of Baku and Jerusalem do not coincide on this issue either. "It is from here in Israel that a request is made to distance itself from Turkish interests and the desire to establish relations with Armenia based on the logic of bilateral benefits." The rhetoric of Jerusalem was significantly softened, especially in recent years, regarding the events of 1915. Moreover, the establishment formed opinions in favor of their recognition of the Genocide. However, for a radical demolition over the years of the existing trend, all these positions do not yet reach a critical mass, "the analyst is convinced.
Markedonov also sees Yerevan's counter-request for building pragmatic relations with Jerusalem, as Armenia does on the American and European tracks. He estimates that this is due, in part, to the growing confrontation between the West and Russia and Iran, as well as the threat of the positions of the three co- chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group on Karabakh threatening the existing consensus. "The situation around Iran, Washington's readiness to reconsider the previous line of Barack Obama in favor of stricter positions, the conflict in Syria, the reception of a significant number of refugees, require at least a serious conversation between Armenian diplomats and their colleagues from Israel," the analyst said.