Officially the state of Israel neither recognizes nor denies the Armenian Genocide . Politicians from primarily left wing and centrist parties such as Meretz and Kadima , but also occasionally right wing parties such as Likud , have been promoting recognition and commemoration of the Armenian Genocide . This cooperation is significant since it includes activists and politicians who usually are on the opposing sides of the political spectrum . Yet the official line of all Israeli governments has been to keep the status quo , partially because of modern-day real-politik reasons . Right-wing party Yisrael Beiteinu ( Israel Our Home ) claims that Genocide discussions would jeopardise Israel-Azerbaijan and Israel-Turkish relations and hurt close economic and military cooperation with them . These two countries are essential for Israel 's regional policy and interests opposing Iran . In 2008 , Yosef Shagal , an Azerbaijani Jew and now retired Israeli parliamentarian from Israel Our Home stated in an interview to Azerbaijan media ( which officially denies the genocide ) : " I find it deeply offensive , and even blasphemous to compare the Holocaust of European Jewry during the Second World War with the mass extermination of the Armenian people during the First World War . Jews were killed because they were Jews , but Armenians provoked Turkey and should blame themselves . " Despite this controversy , there are several prominent Armenian Genocide Memorials in the State of Israel . To commemorate the 100th anniversary of the genocide , the Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra performed music written by Armenian composers . Many Israeli and Jewish historians also draw parallels between the genocides . Hebrew University scholar Yehuda Bauer wrote : Israel 's president Reuven Rivlin once campaigned for Israel to recognize the Armenian Genocide . In 2012 , he said " It is our moral duty to remember and remind of the tragedy that befell the Armenian people , who lost more than a million of its sons during the First World War , and we must not make this a political issue . I am aware of the sensitivity of this issue . But let us be clear : This is not an accusation of Turkey today or of the current Turkish government . " As president he has been less vocal on this issue . Concerned about the negative reaction of Turkey if the president signed the petition , unnamed officials of the Foreign Ministry welcomed what they called Rivlin 's " statesmanship . " The Islamist Hani al-Sibai cited Justin McCarthy 's work while engaging in Armenian Genocide denial
Armenian Genocide
Armenian Genocide
Armenian Genocide denial