Israeli Weapons Are Common to the Displacement in Nagorno-Karabakh and Gaza
Gaza and the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh share a history marked by slaughter, displacement, and broken promises from the West. They also have in common the influence of Israeli weapons, which have driven violence and upheaval in both regions.
A protester holds a placard showing a Palestinian flag alongside a flag of Artsakh (the Armenian name for Nagorno-Karabakh) as students participate in a “Walkout to Fight Genocide and Free Palestine” at Bruin Plaza at UCLA in Los Angeles, California, on October 25, 2023. (Frederic J. Brown / AFP via Getty Images)
It comes as no surprise that Israeli weapons are driving the violence in Gaza. But it is less well known that a similar scenario has unfolded in Artsakh [Nagorno-Karabakh], a majority-Armenian region surrounded by Azerbaijan. Following a ten-month blockade, Azerbaijan, armed with weapons purchased from Israel, launched an attack on civilians in Artsakh. In just a few days in September, nearly the whole population of 120,000 faced ethnic cleansing.
After a seventeen-year Israeli blockade, bombs are also raining down Gaza. Just as hundreds of thousands fled Artsakh, 1.5 million are being displaced in Gaza. Beyond the tragic circumstances, Armenians and Palestinians share a common struggle. Both groups are subjected to colonialism and slaughter supported by Western states.
Shared History
Between 1915 and 1923 the Ottoman Empire perpetrated the Armenian Genocide, resulting in the deaths of between 664,000 and 1.2 million Armenians. Armenians were forcibly expelled from their homes, massacred and buried in mass graves, and subjected to death marches across the country. After living in Anatolia for two thousand years, almost the entire Armenian population was eradicated.
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