he head of the Azerbaijan-Israel Association slammed a mayoral decision to establish a monument to the victims of the Armenian Genocide in Petah Tikva.

Alex Miller learned about the initiative of Petah-Tikva Mayor Itzik Braverman who recently met with representatives of Armenian organizations from current and Armenia media reports.

“Seems like Mayor Braverman resolved all current problems, and the turn has come for a century-long ones,” Alex Miller ironized.

“The city is permanently mentioned in the crime reports. And the decision of this kind, taken without putting it to a municipal council’s vote screams of a lack of foresight,” he said.

As he went on to remind, “with Knesset’s decision on the recognition of the Armenian Genocide pending, any games at municipal level can be construed as assistance to those aiming to draw Israel into conflicts of the third parties.”

“I hope the municipal council will act against mayor’s self-will in the issue so far beyond his jurisdiction,” Miller told IzRus.

In February, members of the Israeli-Armenian community met with Mayor of Petah Tikva. Three local Armenian organizations, Nairi, Noyan Tapan and Ararat participated in the meeting, with cooperation projects, including construction of the Armenian Genocide memorial discussed.

For 15 years, supporters of the recognition of the Armenian Genocide – representatives of the Israeli-Armenian friendship group, MPs – attempted to introduce the Genocide recognition issue on the parliament agenda. In 2012, the 1st discussion, initiated in 2011 by Meretz party, was held in Knesset and later submitted to the committee on education, culture and sports.