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MAJOR AMERICAN-JEWISH ORGANIZATIONS MAY NO LONGER BACK TURKEY IN CONGRESS
By Harut Sassounian
AZG Armenian Daily
31/01/2009
International
There are serious indications that Israel and American-Jewish
organizations are no longer willing to support Turkey's lobbying
efforts to block a congressional resolution on the Armenian Genocide.
The dispute between the two strategic allies began with Turkish
Prime Minister Recep Erdogan harshly denouncing Israel's incursion
into Gaza and accusing the Jewish state of committing crimes against
humanity. He suggested that Israel be barred from the United Nations
as mass demonstrations were held throughout Turkey with banners that
read: "Gaza will be a grave for Israel" and "Put Israel on trial for
war crimes." Israel's Consul General in Istanbul, Mordehai Amihai,
told Milliyet that the consulate received hundreds of anti-Semitic
e-mails every day during the fighting in Gaza.
Initially, Israeli officials expressed their displeasure through
diplomatic channels. But as the anti-Israel rhetoric intensified,
Israel's Deputy Foreign Minister publicly warned Turkey that Tel
Aviv might retaliate by acknowledging the Armenian Genocide. Last
week, Israel's Prime Minister Olmert invited the leaders of France,
Britain, Germany, Italy, Spain and the Czech Republic to dinner in
Jerusalem after their summit meeting in nearby Egypt. Significantly,
Turkey's President Abdullah Gul, who also had attended the summit,
was excluded from the dinner.
American-Jewish organizations, which had for years supported Turkey's
denialist agenda on the Armenian Genocide in the U.S. Congress, were
highly incensed by the Turkish condemnations of Israel. The American
Jewish Committee sent a letter to Erdogan on January 8, to express its
"grave concern over recent official statements" by Turkey's Prime
Minister and Foreign Minister. On January 21, a second letter was
sent to Erdogan, this time signed by five leading American-Jewish
organizations, expressing their "profound concern over the current
wave of anti-Semitic manifestations in Turkey."
In their joint letter, the American Jewish Committee, Anti-Defamation
League, B'nai B'rith International, Conference of Presidents of Major
American Jewish Organizations, and Jewish Institute for National
Security Affairs complained about "gravely distressing" recent
incidents: "Protestors besieging the Israeli Consulate in Istanbul
have expressed their hatred of Jews. Billboards around Istanbul are
full of anti-Jewish propaganda posters. The door of a Jewish-owned
shop near Istanbul University was covered with a poster that said, 'Do
not buy from here, since this shop is owned by a Jew.' The defacing of
an Izmir synagogue has brought about the temporary closure of all but
one of that city's synagogues." The American-Jewish groups also stated
that the Jewish community in Turkey feels "besieged and threatened. A
connection is clearly perceived between the inflammatory denunciation
of Israel by Turkish officials and the rise of anti-Semitism."
Ironically, Abraham Foxman, ADL's National Director, who is now
complaining to Prime Minister Erdogan about anti-Semitism in Turkey,
had presented a prestigious award to him in 2005. Foxman conveniently
overlooked the fact that four days before he gave that award to
Erdogan, the Middle East Media Research Institute, based on a report
from Hurriyet, revealed that Erdogan in 1974 had written, directed and
played the lead role in a play called "Maskomya," an acronym for the
triple "evils" of Masons, Komunists (Communists), and Yahudis (Jews).
Having given Erdogan one of ADL's highest awards, Foxman must have
been shocked by the Turkish Prime Minister's recent criticisms of
Israel. Foxman told Milliyet last week: "Turkey was our friend. We were
friends. I still can't believe it. I am very sad and confused. The
Jews in Turkey are threatened.... They feel encircled.... The Prime
Minister spoke very harshly. We were friends. How did we come to
this situation?" Jacob Isaacson, an official of the American Jewish
Committee, was also unhappy with the Turkish reaction. "Once you start
poisoning the well, you do not know where it leads," he said. Moreover,
an unnamed American-Jewish leader was quoted as saying: "This time,
we are going to face great difficulty. In the past, we defended the
Turkish position, not only because Turkey was right, but also because
we were friends." Yet another American-Jewish official, washing his
hands from further involvement in Turkey's lobbying efforts on the
Armenian Genocide, told Milliyet: "Count us completely out of this
problem. We don't believe Congress should deal with it. Let Armenia
and Turkey resolve it between them."
In another indication of diminishing support for Turkey among Jewish
circles, Prof. Benjamin Yafet advised this writer that he had "very
reliable information that all major American Jewish organizations
are now fed up with Turkey and are ready to support the Armenian
Genocide resolution."
It appears that this time around Israel and American-Jewish
organizations will not be as forgiving as they have been in the past,
in the face of persistent and vicious anti-Semitic attacks emanating
from Turkey. After the loss of lobbying support from American-Jews,
Pres. Obama's election, and Democratic majorities in both houses of
Congress, Turkey is expected to have great difficulty in the coming
months to block a renewed attempt to pass a congressional resolution
on the Armenian Genocide. Faruk Logoglu, Turkey's former Ambassador
to Washington, should know! He told Milliyet: "The Jewish lobby
is the strongest in the United States and the only one supporting
Turkey. Therefore, the letter of disappointment sent to Erdogan
[by 5 Jewish groups] is of great importance."
By Harut Sassounian
AZG Armenian Daily
31/01/2009
International
There are serious indications that Israel and American-Jewish
organizations are no longer willing to support Turkey's lobbying
efforts to block a congressional resolution on the Armenian Genocide.
The dispute between the two strategic allies began with Turkish
Prime Minister Recep Erdogan harshly denouncing Israel's incursion
into Gaza and accusing the Jewish state of committing crimes against
humanity. He suggested that Israel be barred from the United Nations
as mass demonstrations were held throughout Turkey with banners that
read: "Gaza will be a grave for Israel" and "Put Israel on trial for
war crimes." Israel's Consul General in Istanbul, Mordehai Amihai,
told Milliyet that the consulate received hundreds of anti-Semitic
e-mails every day during the fighting in Gaza.
Initially, Israeli officials expressed their displeasure through
diplomatic channels. But as the anti-Israel rhetoric intensified,
Israel's Deputy Foreign Minister publicly warned Turkey that Tel
Aviv might retaliate by acknowledging the Armenian Genocide. Last
week, Israel's Prime Minister Olmert invited the leaders of France,
Britain, Germany, Italy, Spain and the Czech Republic to dinner in
Jerusalem after their summit meeting in nearby Egypt. Significantly,
Turkey's President Abdullah Gul, who also had attended the summit,
was excluded from the dinner.
American-Jewish organizations, which had for years supported Turkey's
denialist agenda on the Armenian Genocide in the U.S. Congress, were
highly incensed by the Turkish condemnations of Israel. The American
Jewish Committee sent a letter to Erdogan on January 8, to express its
"grave concern over recent official statements" by Turkey's Prime
Minister and Foreign Minister. On January 21, a second letter was
sent to Erdogan, this time signed by five leading American-Jewish
organizations, expressing their "profound concern over the current
wave of anti-Semitic manifestations in Turkey."
In their joint letter, the American Jewish Committee, Anti-Defamation
League, B'nai B'rith International, Conference of Presidents of Major
American Jewish Organizations, and Jewish Institute for National
Security Affairs complained about "gravely distressing" recent
incidents: "Protestors besieging the Israeli Consulate in Istanbul
have expressed their hatred of Jews. Billboards around Istanbul are
full of anti-Jewish propaganda posters. The door of a Jewish-owned
shop near Istanbul University was covered with a poster that said, 'Do
not buy from here, since this shop is owned by a Jew.' The defacing of
an Izmir synagogue has brought about the temporary closure of all but
one of that city's synagogues." The American-Jewish groups also stated
that the Jewish community in Turkey feels "besieged and threatened. A
connection is clearly perceived between the inflammatory denunciation
of Israel by Turkish officials and the rise of anti-Semitism."
Ironically, Abraham Foxman, ADL's National Director, who is now
complaining to Prime Minister Erdogan about anti-Semitism in Turkey,
had presented a prestigious award to him in 2005. Foxman conveniently
overlooked the fact that four days before he gave that award to
Erdogan, the Middle East Media Research Institute, based on a report
from Hurriyet, revealed that Erdogan in 1974 had written, directed and
played the lead role in a play called "Maskomya," an acronym for the
triple "evils" of Masons, Komunists (Communists), and Yahudis (Jews).
Having given Erdogan one of ADL's highest awards, Foxman must have
been shocked by the Turkish Prime Minister's recent criticisms of
Israel. Foxman told Milliyet last week: "Turkey was our friend. We were
friends. I still can't believe it. I am very sad and confused. The
Jews in Turkey are threatened.... They feel encircled.... The Prime
Minister spoke very harshly. We were friends. How did we come to
this situation?" Jacob Isaacson, an official of the American Jewish
Committee, was also unhappy with the Turkish reaction. "Once you start
poisoning the well, you do not know where it leads," he said. Moreover,
an unnamed American-Jewish leader was quoted as saying: "This time,
we are going to face great difficulty. In the past, we defended the
Turkish position, not only because Turkey was right, but also because
we were friends." Yet another American-Jewish official, washing his
hands from further involvement in Turkey's lobbying efforts on the
Armenian Genocide, told Milliyet: "Count us completely out of this
problem. We don't believe Congress should deal with it. Let Armenia
and Turkey resolve it between them."
In another indication of diminishing support for Turkey among Jewish
circles, Prof. Benjamin Yafet advised this writer that he had "very
reliable information that all major American Jewish organizations
are now fed up with Turkey and are ready to support the Armenian
Genocide resolution."
It appears that this time around Israel and American-Jewish
organizations will not be as forgiving as they have been in the past,
in the face of persistent and vicious anti-Semitic attacks emanating
from Turkey. After the loss of lobbying support from American-Jews,
Pres. Obama's election, and Democratic majorities in both houses of
Congress, Turkey is expected to have great difficulty in the coming
months to block a renewed attempt to pass a congressional resolution
on the Armenian Genocide. Faruk Logoglu, Turkey's former Ambassador
to Washington, should know! He told Milliyet: "The Jewish lobby
is the strongest in the United States and the only one supporting
Turkey. Therefore, the letter of disappointment sent to Erdogan
[by 5 Jewish groups] is of great importance."