Analyst outlines two legal scenarios after Israel's recognition of Armenian Genocide

Israel's government unanimously voted on Sunday to formally recognize the Armenian Genocide, setting in motion a process that could follow one of two distinct legal trajectories, Armenian political analyst and historian Sergei Melkonian says.

In a social media post on Monday, Melkonian, a research fellow at the Applied Policy Research Institute of Armenia (APRI Armenia), said the cabinet approved a proposal introduced by Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar recognizing the genocide committed against Armenians by the Ottoman Empire. The decision also calls for notifying the Knesset and advancing the measure for parliamentary consideration.

According to the government document, the genocide began on April 24, 1915, with the arrest, deportation and execution of Armenian intellectuals and community leaders in Constantinople. It states that Ottoman authorities subsequently carried out a systematic campaign of extermination and deportation that claimed the lives of approximately 1.5 million Armenians and eradicated much of the Armenian population's centuries-old cultural and historical presence in Anatolia.

The proposal further condemns any attempt to deny, minimize or distort the historical record of the genocide, arguing that organized denial efforts have persisted despite extensive historical documentation. It also notes that more than 30 countries have formally recognized the Armenian Genocide through legislation, parliamentary resolutions or official declarations.

Melkonian said the measure could proceed under two possible legal scenarios.

Under the first, the recognition would be formalized through a government resolution followed by a vote in the Knesset. While this would establish Israel's official political and legal position, it would not constitute standalone legislation imposing statutory obligations on the ministries or other state institutions. Such recognition would therefore remain primarily a political and diplomatic act.

The second scenario would see the Knesset enact dedicated legislation recognizing the Armenian Genocide and establishing provisions for an official remembrance day, commemorative ceremonies and related state obligations.

"In that case, recognition would become not only an element of Israel's foreign policy but also a binding norm of domestic law," the analyst said. "That would impose legal responsibilities on state institutions and create a more durable legal framework, making it significantly more difficult for a future government to reverse."

Melkonian said the next stage of the process will reveal which political parties support the initiative and which oppose it.