The security program of the political party “Strong Armenia” provides food for thought. Why has this new political force included a former commander of the Israeli air defense in its security and defense programs?
Narek Karapetyan explains it this way: “To ensure the security of our soldiers, we will work with the best specialists in the world. This general is one of the top five experts in air defense worldwide. We have made great efforts to involve him and his team in the reconstruction of Armenia’s air defense system. Why? In 2020, we remember that our most significant losses were due to the inadequacy of air defense. In other words, to those who are now asking why we invited him: when your son is on the front line, in position, and a Bayraktar is above his head, will you say ‘why did you bring an Israeli to propose solutions to shoot down this Bayraktar’ or will you say ‘you did the right thing’? Look to your sons, to your brothers. To know if you really have protection, before the war, find the country with the best air defense system in the world. Currently, that is Israel, and we are calling on the creator of this system, who can provide professional advice with his team.”
It is hard not to agree with Karapetyan: yes, our soldiers need air defense, and our country needs a system as powerful. Yes, Israel has one of the best air defenses in the world, and the Jewish general Zvika Haimovich is an influential and competent specialist.
However, we must consider not only Israel’s power and the professional skills of this general, but also the geopolitical relations and interests that this country maintains with Armenia and its neighbors. We have not forgotten the military support Israel provided to Azerbaijan during the 44-day war in Artsakh.
We cannot consider Israel as an ally or a friendly country to Armenia. Israel is part of the geopolitical bloc that wants to fragment Armenia. Let us not forget the violence and destruction that Israel is inflicting on our neighboring and allied country, Iran, today. Therefore, thinking that its power justifies entrusting our security system to this general is, to say the least, questionable. No one can guarantee what decisions this general will make in extreme wartime situations, in favor of his country and to the detriment of Armenia and its Iranian ally. This fact could also create new problems in Armenia-Iran relations.
Probably one of the wealthiest men in the world, the Armenian philanthropist Samvel Karapetyan, who has sincere intentions towards Armenia, believes that everything can be bought and sold with enough money, according to the logic of “I give you a lot of money, you give me a good product.” However, this successful businessman-philanthropist, being inexperienced in geopolitics, probably does not realize that not everything can be bought.
Yes, this Israeli general could one day reject the money that was paid to him and act according to the geopolitical interests of his country, thus becoming a real powder keg inside Armenia.
Naira Vanyan
HayPress.am
