Arie Gut: "Azerbaijan is a strong and stable geopolitical core of the South Caucasus region." Armenia and Azerbaijan argue about anti-Semitism and tolerance

We present our interview with a member of the board of the Israel-Azerbaijan International Association (AZIZ), the official coordinator of the international campaign “Justice for Khojaly” (“Justice for Khojaly!”) in Israel, an expert in the field of international relations Arya Gut.

Reference: Aryeh Gut was born in 1975 in the city of Baku. After graduating in 1999 with an honors diploma from the Faculty of International Relations of the Belarusian State University, he worked as a teacher at this university for two years. Arye Gut, who moved to Israel in 2000, is currently working on Israeli television and radio channels as a political observer on the South Caucasus and Turkey, and at the same time manages a high-tech project.

- The Association for the Promotion of the Development of Civil Society in Azerbaijan is carrying out a campaign in connection with the genocide committed by Armenians against Azerbaijanis 110 years ago. What can you say about the presence in Israel of information about the aggression to which Azerbaijan is subjected, about the genocide against Azerbaijanis committed by Armenians for about 110 years?

“I regret to note that in Israel there is almost no information about how Azerbaijanis were subjected to genocide by Armenians 110 years ago. Such information is still not brought to the whole world. I will note one more fact. No complete information and how, in 1918, Azerbaijanis and mountain Jews were killed by Armenian Dashnaks on the territory of Guba. Recently, I visited the Guba Genocide Victims Museum created with the support of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation. This museum has been created and built at a high level. But there's still to come big job over video and audio effects. Not enough in the world and the Internet space scientific literature about this truly bloody tragedy. Therefore, this literature needs to be translated into the six major UN languages. For example, in Israel there is scientific institute-museum Holocaust (Yad Vashem), created in memory of 6 million European Jews who died and were killed during World War II. This is not just a museum, but also the largest Holocaust research center in the world. When I was in Guba, I asked the head of the Museum of Genocide Victims that I could go to Israel, visit that same Holocaust museum, and gain relevant experience. I'm very good connections with this museum. This is a huge scientific and propaganda arena for work and activities.

- you represent major project in connection with Khojaly. Please tell us about the work you have done in this project.

- The Khojaly genocide, committed with unprecedented brutality, is one of the most terrible tragedies of the 20th century. 2013 was declared in our diaspora organization - Israel-Azerbaijan International Association (AZIZ) as the year of Khojaly. Documentary photo exhibition "Justice for Khojaly!" with the support of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation during the year was organized in 12 largest cities Israel. In every city where this photo exhibition was held, people were shocked by it. All exhibitions were attended by management, heads of public organizations, representatives of the press of the cities where they were held. The exhibitions were widely covered in local and foreign media. A video disc was also produced, along with a pamphlet describing the exhibition. Most people have no idea about the Khojaly genocide. The terrible truth captured in the photographs exhibited at this photo exhibition, documentary photographs, in which unbearable shots are frozen, fully reflect the tragedy experienced by the Azerbaijani people. This tragedy is a crime committed against all mankind. The city of Khojaly was razed to the ground in one night and burned down. It is already a historical fact that the Armenian armed forces and mercenaries did not spare the innocent inhabitants of Khojaly, who did not manage to leave the city and its environs. Bloodthirsty Armenian armed units killed 613 people, 487 became crippled, 1275 civilians - old people, children, women were taken prisoner and subjected to torture, humiliation and insults.

We tried to explain to the Israelis who visited this photo exhibition that the deliberate killing of the civilian population of the city of Khojaly was aimed at massacre of people only because they were Azerbaijanis. Seyran Ohanyan, Serge Sargsyan, ex-president Robert Kocharyan and others holding high positions in Armenia today must answer before the international court as the perpetrators of the Khojaly genocide. Crime should not go unpunished. The world community should bring charges against Armenia for military-political aggression. International structures, parliaments of the countries of the world should give an international political and legal assessment of the Khojaly tragedy committed by Armenia on the territory of Azerbaijan as a real genocide.

On February 23, 2014, a commemoration ceremony dedicated to the 22nd anniversary of the Khojaly tragedy and the 5th anniversary of the international campaign “Justice for Khojaly!” launched in 2009 by Leyla Aliyeva was held at the Shimon Peres Peace Center in Tel Aviv, where documentary about the Khojaly tragedy. The ceremony was attended by members of the Israeli Knesset, members of the Israeli government and media representatives.

— What can we learn from the Armenians who are shouting to the whole world about their fictitious genocide? Why do they manage to impose their lies on the whole world, while we bring our truth to the world with difficulty?

Let's go back to your first question. Armenians have carried out propaganda for years, achieved recognition of the fictitious Armenian genocide by over 20 European countries. Any propaganda in the world today depends on finances and our desire. Our propaganda must be aggressive and powerful. For example, our diaspora organizations should remind about Khojaly not only in February. Khojaly must live in our hearts, in our souls always. In this regard, we must hold not only commemoration ceremonies, but even more organize large-scale high-level international conferences around the world and invite well-known specialists in law and human rights, journalists, ombudsmen, scientists to them. We must shoot documentary and feature films about Khojaly all over the world. This should be the main focus of our propaganda. At the same time, with the help of these international conferences, we must form a global coalition of friends of Azerbaijan. We must create various websites about the bloody events, our tragedies and translate them into the main languages ​​of the world. Here, the world diaspora organizations and diplomatic representatives of Azerbaijan should act from a unified position.

Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman's visit to Azerbaijan commented for website Israeli expert Arie Gut.

He noted that relations between Azerbaijan and Israel can be an example for other countries.

“Currently, the friendly and very trusting relations of cooperation and partnership between the State of Israel and Azerbaijan represent a true and ideal model for many countries of the world. In the most difficult times, these countries have always been together, have always provided each other with mutual support. One of the main reasons for strong relations is the human bridge factor - a long and close brotherly friendship between Azerbaijanis and the 25,000 Jewish community living in Azerbaijan for over 2600 years. Thus, the relationship between our countries is at the highest level,” the Israeli expert emphasized.

“At the same time, Avigdor Lieberman always correctly focuses his attention on the true, devoted friends of Israel, and his stake on Azerbaijan in the South Caucasus region justifies itself. The first official visit of Avigdor Lieberman to Azerbaijan as the Minister of Defense of Israel and his warm and sincere meeting with the leadership of Azerbaijan is an important step and new stage in the development and strengthening of relations between Israel and Azerbaijan”.

The expert drew attention to the Azerbaijani-Israeli economic relations and called the cooperation between our countries a strategic partnership.

“Azerbaijani-Israeli relations are positive and represent a real strategic partnership today. Azerbaijani-Israeli trade cooperation is thriving and is worth nearly $4.5 billion. Despite the fact that this cooperation was previously focused on the oil and gas industry, now this cooperation is diversifying to other sectors of the economy, including agriculture, high-tech industry, healthcare, and military-technical partnership. It should be noted that Israel is one of the main strategic buyers of Azerbaijani oil on the world market,” the analyst analyzed.

Recalling the April battles in Karabakh, the Israeli expert once again recalled that it was the military cooperation between Azerbaijan and Israel that radically changed the balance of power in the region and the Azerbaijani Armed Forces practically destroyed the advanced units of the Armenian occupying army in a few days.

“After the events of April 2016, according to the Ministry of Defense of Azerbaijan, during a rapid counteroffensive, the front line of the Armenian defense was broken in several places, and several strategic heights were liberated and settlements— we really saw anti-Israeli hysteria and anti-Semitism in Armenia. This was due to the fact that Israel is one of the main suppliers of weapons to Azerbaijan. Even in Israel, the Armenian community held demonstrations against the Azerbaijani-Israeli partnership. As for the criticism of Armenia, I would say that Azerbaijan and Israel themselves choose their friends and partners, and these countries themselves determine the level of strategic cooperation in the military-technical sphere. Moreover, no one has the right to interfere in this strong strategic partnership,” he added.

Then Arye Gut spoke about the inextricable cultural ties between our peoples, and about the life of the Jewish community in Azerbaijan.

“As a citizen of Israel, I can proudly say that the leadership of Azerbaijan, first of all President Ilham Aliyev and First Vice President Mehriban Aliyeva, shows a great degree of respect and genuine concern for the Jewish community of Azerbaijan. By personal order of President Ilham Aliyev, two synagogues and the largest Jewish educational center in the South Caucasus were built. In the near future, it is planned to open the first Jewish museum in Azerbaijan, which will be the first Jewish Museum in the South Caucasus,” the political scientist noted.

Regarding the position of Israel in the Karabakh issue, the expert repeated the phrase that the Jewish state is on the side of Azerbaijan in this conflict.

“The State of Israel supports the fair position of Azerbaijan, actively supporting the territorial integrity of the country and calls for the settlement of the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict within the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan. Today, President Ilham Aliyev and Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman opened a new page in strengthening relations between countries and peoples, Arie Gut summed up.

BAKU / News-Azerbaijan. Thanks to successful geopolitical and geo-economic initiatives, Azerbaijan has become the most powerful state and leader of the region, without the participation and consent of which not a single political, economic, transport issue can be resolved in this strategic region of the world, which is the South Caucasus. In a multi-vector foreign policy Azerbaijan special place The State of Israel also has. The recent first historic official visit of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to Baku once again confirmed that, without any doubt, relations between Israel and Azerbaijan are in the nature of a strategic partnership.

This was stated in an interview with the program "Live" by the Israeli Internet channel "IllandTV" international center in the State of Israel, renowned Israeli expert in international relations Arie Gut.

According to Gut, Israel has always treated Azerbaijan with great attention and warmth.

"There has never been and there is no anti-Semitism in this country, and official Baku has repeatedly condemned and condemns any manifestations of anti-Semitism in other countries. It is not in vain that starting his state visit to Azerbaijan, the head of the Israeli government highly appreciated the factor of multiculturalism and tolerance in Azerbaijan, where "special and sincere attention is paid to the Jewish community of Azerbaijan. In turn, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev noted that the Jews of Azerbaijan play an important and invaluable role in the social and political life of Azerbaijan, as well as in the popularization of Azerbaijan in the world," said Arie Gut.

Gut stressed that it is quite clear that such sincere and warm relations between Israel and Azerbaijan cannot but cause irritation in neighboring Armenia.

"After the April events of 2016, we are really seeing anti-Israeli hysteria in Armenia, even in Israel, the Armenian community held protest rallies against the Azerbaijani-Israeli partnership. Regarding criticism of Armenia, I would say that Azerbaijan and Israel choose their own friends and partners, and it is these "countries themselves determine the level of strategic cooperation in the military-technical field. And no one has the right to interfere in this. Azerbaijan does not ask why there are military bases of a third state on the territory of Armenia, and what kind of military assistance this country provides to the Republic of Armenia" - noted Arie Gut.

Within the framework of the program, the leader David Cohn noted that the Armenian website Armenian Report openly promotes anti-Semitism and anti-Israelism, and even calls for the destruction of the state of Israel.

In particular, the publication writes: “We need to work even more closely with Iran, with Arab paramilitary groups and organizations that are strongly opposed to Israel. For this, the Armenian government should actively involve Armenians living in the Middle East with close ties to Hezbollah, the Islamic Jihad, Hamas, especially with the Izzaddin al-Qasam Brigades. Our diaspora organizations in the Middle East need to start funding these organizations that promise to destroy Israel."

According to Gut, it is not surprising that a country that has made anti-Semitism and fascism part of its national ideology will support such terrorist movements as Hezbollah and Hamas.

The expert noted that in a country where anti-Semitism and fascism have become the state ideology, in a country that ranks first in anti-Semitism in post-Soviet space, calls for the destruction of the state of Israel can be considered part of the national ideology.

"Everyone is well aware that Armenia is the most mono-ethnic country, where chauvinism, nationalism, glorification of fascists and anti-Semites have become an integral part of public policy the Sargsyan regime. It is worth emphasizing that the cult of these bloodthirsty fascists and anti-Semites is not carried out by the forces of some marginal political groups, the state is behind these actions, but rather the criminal terrorist leadership modern Republic Armenia. The fact that Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan and Defense Minister Seyran Ohanyan participated in the opening ceremony of the monument to the fascist and anti-Semite General Garegin Nzhdeh confirms once again that they consider themselves the real and true heirs of the Armenian fascist and anti-Semite Nzhdeh. History and the Jewish people will never forget the cruelty of the 20,000-strong Armenian legion during the Second World War, one of the founders of which was the fascist Nzhdeh. Eat historical facts which are confirmed by archival documents. The goal of the Armenian legion, led by General Nzhdeh, was to raid and exterminate Jews and others "undesirable" for the German army. It is thanks to the Armenian legion that Simferopol, Evpatoria, Alushta, Kerch and Feodosia, as well as other areas Western Crimea were completely purged of Jews. After that, can we look indifferently at how in modern Armenia they exalt the Armenian fascist and anti-Semite to the rank of a national hero? And after that Armenians teach us Israelis about conscience, morality and justice. And after that, some "Jewish" leaders of Armenia will prove to me that there is no anti-Semitism and hatred towards Jews and Israelis in Armenia," Aryeh Gut said.

Unlike Armenia, multiculturalism and tolerance have become a way of life in Azerbaijani society.

"No country on the territory of Eurasia has such close and warm relations with Israel as the Republic of Azerbaijan. Without any doubt, relations between Israel and Azerbaijan are in the nature of a strategic partnership. Israel has always treated Azerbaijan with great attention and warmth. Israel has repeatedly declared its respect and support for the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan.Israel is one of the main buyers of Azerbaijani oil in the world.In turn, Azerbaijan needs modern Israeli high technologies in agriculture, military industry, telecommunications, and the list goes on.At the same time, our countries are promoting educational, humanitarian and cultural projects," Gut said.

According to the expert, Israel highly appreciates the role of the leadership of modern Azerbaijan in a warm and sincere attitude towards the 20,000 Jewish community.

"As a result of the bloody Armenian aggression, 20 percent of the territory of Azerbaijan is occupied by Armenia, and every 7th inhabitant in the country is a refugee. Azerbaijan is a model of inter-civilizational dialogue. I do not get tired of repeating every time: show me one more country - Muslim or Christian, where under the patronage President, two synagogues and the largest Jewish educational center in the South Caucasus were built.Azerbaijan - unique country which comprehensively supports the development of the ideas of tolerance and multiculturalism at the state level real deeds. I think you simply will not find another country like this," summed up the head of the representative office of the Baku International Center in the State of Israel.

Each sovereign state has the right to decide who is allowed into its territory and who is not. Also, each country has the right to take the necessary measures to ensure its security, the security of its citizens and foreign citizens located on its territory.

I think that Azerbaijan is no exception. Given the fact that Azerbaijan is in an unfriendly geopolitical environment, security issues for the Republic of Azerbaijan have always been very relevant.

A curious incident occurred recently in Moscow, at the Domodedovo airport. Namely, on October 27, a citizen Russian Federation, the head of the export sales department of AvtoVAZ OJSC, Sergey Armenovich Gyurjian, could not get on the Moscow-Baku flight of AZAL airlines (flight J2 853). Representatives of the Azerbaijani airline refused to register Mr. Gyurjian, citing the fact that he had an Armenian surname. I want to emphasize that Gyurjiyan tried to impersonate a Jew, in which his colleague helped him, however, the airline employees did not change their decision.

However, this happened even in the United States, where for some time after September 11, 2001, citizens of Afghanistan and some Arab States for fear of repeated attacks. In this context, the actions of the Moscow representative office of the AZAL airline are fully justified: the conflict between the Azerbaijani and Armenian peoples has not yet been resolved, and Gyurjian, an ethnic Armenian, even a Russian citizen, cannot just buy a ticket and fly to Baku. First of all, because he did not receive an official invitation and security guarantees from the host.

The pronounced nationalist position of the well-known Russian TV and radio presenter Vladimir Solovyov is not clear here. The journalist emphasized that Russian citizen Gyurjiyan was not allowed on board the plane to Baku, although he had a ticket booked in advance. “The comments that have been pouring in are very clearly ethnically colored. Some - the Azerbaijani side, for which citizenship does not play any role, but even a drop of Armenian blood for them is the subject of wild, inhuman, I would say, bestial hatred. That is, for me, as a Jew, this hatred frankly reminds me of the tragedy of my people and the Holocaust,” Vladimir Solovyov emphasized.

Yes, you can’t say anything, how, having not the best feelings for the historical homeland of the Jews, the “Jew Soloviev”, because of the poor and unfortunate Gyurjian, remembered “his people and the Holocaust”. There are no limits to the hypocrisy and political mediocrity (I think they paid well for his mediocrity) Solovyov. Is it the Azerbaijanis who experience bestial hatred for the Armenians? What kind of hatred are we talking about when in today's modern city Baku, 20,000 Armenians continue to live in the capital of Azerbaijan. I want to remind Mr. Solovyov that Jews, Christians, Muslims and representatives of other religions have been living in Azerbaijan for centuries. Azerbaijan for many countries of the world can be a model of tolerance, coexistence of different religions and cultures.

It is worth emphasizing that Armenian monuments, for example, Armenian church in the center of Baku, are protected by the state. Unfortunately, Armenia not only destroys cultural heritage in the Azerbaijani territories it occupies, but also renames Azerbaijani toponyms in Armenia. Albanian monuments, reflecting an entire era in the history of the Azerbaijani people, have long been turned into monuments of the Gregorian church.

It would be better if "a Jew (although he hardly feels like a Jew morally) Sergei Solovyov" drew attention to how unknown persons in Yerevan are constantly desecrating a memorial dedicated to the memory of the victims of the Holocaust - the memory of 6 million Jews killed by Nazi Germany. Mr. Solovyov, stop defending the mono-ethnic country of Armenia, where chauvinism and nationalism are passed on with mother's milk. This desecration of the monument to the innocent victims of the Holocaust confirms that the genocide of Azerbaijanis in Khojaly was the result of the fascist ideology of ethnic cleansing, which is now preached by the ruling clan of Armenia. How can you compare the incident at the Moscow airport with the tragedy of 6 million European Jews? I am not just an Israeli, I am a person who lost my grandfather's entire family in Ukraine during the Holocaust, who were exterminated for being Jews. I want to remind Mr. Solovyov, who considers himself a Jew, that anti-Semitism and xenophobia in Armenia are not a myth, but the same sad reality as the ideas of the racial superiority of “Aryan” Armenians over representatives of the Turkic, Semitic and other peoples. That is why modern Armenia is practically a mono-ethnic state, where Jews constitute an ever-decreasing microscopic minority, which in the near future will simply disappear from the ethnic map of this country.

Against the background of ethnic nationalism in Armenia and Azerbaijan, there is a process of revival of Jewish communities, their cultural and religious life. Azerbaijan is the only state the former Soviet empire, where there was neither anti-Semitism nor prejudice on national-religious issues. In Azerbaijan, Jews actively participate in the socio-political life of the country along with representatives of other peoples. Thus, the largest Jewish educational complex in the South Caucasus has recently been opened in Azerbaijan, and new synagogues are opening. Against this background, the difference is built between those who preach the ideas of racial superiority, aggression and intolerance and peoples whose tolerance has been passed down from generation to generation for many centuries.

I understand that Solovyov is not an ordinary journalist. Unfortunately, on today's Russian television, where the professional qualities of such masters of journalism as Pozner, Kiselev and Parfenov turned out to be unclaimed, the ball is ruled by such as Solovyov, bursting with boorish pathos and lack of professionalism. As a popular TV presenter, he not only influences public opinion in the country, he is actively involved in shaping the discourse of the political elites” new Russia”, in the formation of those images and meanings that are being imposed on us now and will certainly continue to be imposed in the future.

Speaking about the Azerbaijanis in Russia, Solovyov, in a clearly fascist form and not forgetting the legacy of Hitler-Goebbels, said: “Who have you decided to butt heads with? You, who came here in large numbers during the Luzhkov era, organized market disruptions here, spitting on our culture, running around like “black hawks”! Have you lost your sense of smell? Do you still think you have the right to openly engage in discrimination against a Russian citizen on the territory of the Russian Federation? What do you allow yourself?” Solovyov said.

Alas, this is a sign of acute mental disorder under the pressure of the bile that overflowed his brain. Whether you, a "famous journalist" and a publicist, do not know that goats butt heads, and dogs lose their scent. If you, Vladimir Rudolfovich, consider yourself one of these types of animals, or both at once, then we just have to shrug our shoulders - this is your inalienable right. But, making such attacks, how do you yourself differ from those scumbags who demand to clear Russia of "come in large numbers", to turn Russia into a state only for Russians? I think Solovyov has long lost his identity with the Jewish people, because the representatives of this people never act under the slogans of frenzied nationalism and chauvinism.

Sergei Solovyov, foaming at the mouth, demands to enter with Azerbaijan visa regime and calls for the expulsion of all Azerbaijanis from Russia. His speech is replete with insults, impartial epithets, distortion of facts. A journalist is a person of the word that creates, heals, the word that creates bridges. And not the one whose vocabulary includes the words and propaganda of the times of Goebbels-Hitler, not the one who imitates some nationalist and political figures of the Armenian society. No one took seriously the buffoonery of the dilettante Solovyov.

I would like to remind Mr. Solovyov of the aphorism of the great French playwright Legouwe, who once said that true friendship is precisely chosen kinship. This aphorism perfectly reflects the essence of the centuries-old historical ties between the Russian and Azerbaijani peoples. It is worth adding to this that the kinship between these peoples was chosen, perhaps, by God himself, for these peoples, by the will of the Lord, are called to live side by side, which means to be friends and cooperate. And the nature of their centuries-old relationship can indeed be safely defined by the concept of true friendship, dictated by God's chosen kinship. Decay Soviet Union and the acquisition by Russia and Azerbaijan of the status of independent independent states, of course, gave rise to a number of problems, both of a foreign policy and foreign economic nature. But despite any conflicts, Russian-Azerbaijani relations on the threshold of the 21st century have passed all the tests and are experiencing a new upsurge in radically changed conditions.

They proved the devotion of both peoples to the glorious historical traditions of friendship and cooperation, their strength, eternity and resistance to any external negativism or internal phobias. And it would be difficult to imagine otherwise, since the joint two-hundred-year development gave rise not only to historical, economic, cultural and spiritual closeness, but also forever intertwined their destinies with blood, family ties.

The clearest illustration of this is the residence of 2.5 million Azerbaijanis in Russia, of which only 620,000, being citizens of Russia, tied their fate with it forever. And more than 200 thousand Russian people no longer think of their future and the future of subsequent generations outside of Azerbaijan. I would like to remind the amateur Solovyov that over the centuries, Russians and Azerbaijanis have shown a great ability to understand each other, to absorb the spiritual value of such original cultures, mutual respect and tolerance in national and interfaith relations, which is a strong support and basis for relations between two independent states.

Arie Gut,

Tel Aviv (Israel).

Turkish politicians and diplomats came out with a sharp condemnation of the decision of the French Senate, which on January 23 in the evening approved a bill criminalizing the denial of the Armenian genocide.

The French Senate passed a bill criminalizing the denial of the genocide recognized by French law, including the Armenian genocide. According to the document, criminal punishment in the form of imprisonment for up to one year and a fine of 45,000 euros for those who deny the so-called Armenian genocide in Ottoman Empire in 1915.

According to French law, the president promulgates the law within 15 days after the government receives the final law. He may, before the expiration of this period, ask Parliament to reconsider the law or its individual articles. This revision cannot be rejected.

Turkish politicians and diplomats strongly condemned the decision of the French Senate, which on January 23 in the evening approved a bill criminalizing the denial of the Armenian genocide, the agency reports. France Press. Immediately after the results of the vote became known, the Turkish Minister of Justice Sadullah Ergin on TV channel CNN Turk stated that the bill "is the greatest injustice and expresses extreme disrespect towards Turkey." He added that the decision "does not have legal force."

In connection with the adoption by the French Senate of the law criminalizing the denial of the Armenian Genocide, Turkey is discussing the issue of applying additional sanctions against Paris, the newspaper reports. Milliyet. In particular, according to the newspaper, the Turkish authorities are discussing the issue of reducing the level of diplomatic relations with France to a minimum and recalling its ambassador from Paris.

Other sanctions under consideration include a ban on French companies from participating in tenders in Turkey, the closure of Turkish air and sea space for French military aircraft and ships. Ankara, in addition, intends to use all the possibilities international law in order to achieve the annulment of the decision taken by the French Parliament, writes Milliyet.

It is expected that on January 27, the Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan will announce the list of sanctions against France.

Whether we want to admit it or not, it is necessary to take into account the fact that the leadership and political elite of France are actively connected with the Armenian lobby. The draft law adopted by the French Senate is not a random action, but the result of the effective action and influence of the Armenian lobby in France, whose votes are important for Nicolas Sarkozy to continue his presidency.

It is a fact that no French president has had such a negative attitude towards Turkish-French relations as Nicolas Sarkozy. That he does not answer the phone calls of the President of Turkey Abdullah Gul, is a continuation of the previously demonstrated line of behavior. Today it is a fact that anyone who does not agree with the opinion of the Armenian lobby should be held accountable before the law. Today they manipulate consciousness and the impossibility of resolving the issue even with the discovery of historical sources - they do not lay out on the table historical documents for experts and historians. The decision of the French Senate to criminalize the denial of the so-called Armenian genocide is contrary to the basic principle of democracy and is a violation of the natural human right to freedom of speech. Freedom of expression in France has come under the control of politicians who are under the complete control of the Armenian lobby. It is a fact that these politicians have completely forgotten about the national strategic interests of France, which do not come from the strategic interests of the country, but from the desire of Sarkozy's supporters to stay on for another presidential term. It is no secret that official Paris has turned this sensitive issue into an instrument of domestic policy, and this decision is the most unfortunate and erroneous step in France's foreign policy strategy.

If every parliament begins to make decisions about history and carry them out, Europe will new period repression and persecution. History is indeed full of bloody international and ethnic conflicts, which can easily be used in the modern geopolitical struggle.

The events of a hundred years ago should be dealt with by historians, and not by parliamentarians and prime ministers, especially under pain of a fine or prison. It is easier for historians to find ways to solve existing problems together. However, history has always served and, of course, will continue to serve as fertile ground for settling political scores for a long time to come. This is what happens in the current diplomatic conflict between France and Turkey over the recognition of the so-called Armenian genocide.

From this point of view, I consider it necessary to note that the Turkish diaspora in the world and the Turkish Foreign Ministry for a long time, namely the last 5 years, have been quite calmly watching how the Armenian diaspora in France achieved success bit by bit. I note having enough good experience work with representatives of the Turkish Foreign Ministry, this can be observed all over the world.

I think we all need to draw our own conclusions from this. Unfortunately, the Azerbaijani and Turkish diaspora in the world act from a position of defense, forgetting that the best defense is an attack. We have to stop being defensive, we have to be aggressive, tough and realistic. The Azerbaijani and Turkish diasporas should actively hold international conferences of historians and specialists on this subject in those countries where the positions of the Armenian lobby are strong. They should organize trips of historians and journalists to Turkey and Azerbaijan in order to show the true nature of the so-called Armenian genocide. Today, Azerbaijan has the opportunity and sufficient potential to carry out aggressive diaspora activities around the world, given the active work of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation and the State Committee for Diaspora Affairs of Azerbaijan. The world, unfortunately, knows much more about the tragic events of a hundred years ago than about the tragedy of the Azerbaijani city of Khojaly. Azerbaijan is obliged to do this for the sake of the memory of the innocent victims of the Khojaly tragedy, for the sake of the children who never saw their mothers again.

Arie Gut