A group of Israeli academicians, journalists and activists from Israel have addressed a letter to Eli Cohen, the new Israeli minister of foreign affairs, asking him to help prevent a humanitarian catastrophe in Artsakh.
“We are academics and artists in varied fields of endeavor, whose activities bring us in various ways into contact with the situation in the South Caucasus, its history and culture. We are writing to ask you to approach two states, both friendly to Israel, Azerbaijan and Russia, which have the ability to prevent a grave humanitarian crisis that may, at any time, exact a high price in human suffering and life,” the signatories write.
Reminding that the Lachin corridor – the only road connecting the Republic of Artsakh to Armenia – has been blocked by Azerbaijanis since December 12, 2022, they write: “Due to this continuing blockade, not only are vital supplies prevented from reaching Nagorno Karabakh, but also thousands of its residents are unable to travel between Karabakh and Armenia. The inhabitants of this enclave suffer daily from a lack of basic food-stuffs, medicine, and energy for light and heat in this cold winter season. The situation is in danger of degenerating and threatening the lives of these 120,000 inhabitants. The blocking of this road, the so-called “Lachin Corridor,” is contrary to the cease-fire agreement signed between Azerbaijan and Armenia with Russian mediation, in November 2020.
“This agreement left the Lachin Corridor as the only road to and from the enclave of Nagorno Karabakh.
We believe that you, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Israel, through your ties with your counterparts in Azerbaijan and Russia, can help to avoid this grave humanitarian crisis. Therefore we ask that you .approach them urgently to work for the lifting of the blockade of the Lachin corridor,” the letter reads/
The letter has been signed by:
Ora Ahimeir, author
Yaakov Ahimeir, journalist
Prof. Reuven Amitai, Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies, Hebrew University
Prof. em. Yair Auron, historian
Irena Badalian, architect
Dan Biron, journalist
Prof. em. Israel W. Charny, Hebrew University, executive director of the Institute on the
Holocaust and Genocide in Jerusalem and editor of the Encyclopedia of Genocide
Rabbi Avidan Freedman, CEO Yanshoof organization
Yiska Harani, lecturer, consultant and expert on Christianity
Yoav Loeff, lecturer in Armenian History, Hebrew University
Ilia Mazia, Musician
Sari Raz-Biron, journalist
Prof. em. Elihu Richter, School of Public Health, Hebrew University
Rabbi David Rosen, ecumenical affairs
Dr. Oded Steinberg, International Relations and European Studies, Hebrew University
Prof. Donna Shalev, Classical Sudies, Hebrew University
Prof. em. Michael E. Stone, Armenian Studies and Comparative Religion, Hebrew University
Yaron Weiss, expert on the countries of the Caucasus
