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ISRAEL LAWMAKERS DEBATE RECOGNISING ARMENIA GENOCIDE
Agence France Presse
Dec 26 2011
JERUSALEM - An Israeli parliamentary committee held a landmark
discussion on recognising genocide in Armenia on Monday, a move likely
to further strain already tense relations with Turkey.
During the discussion on the "Jewish people's recognition of the
Armenian genocide," as defined by the committee, lawmakers, historians
and members of the local Armenian community stressed Israel's moral
obligation to officially recognise the Armenian tragedy as a genocide.
The committee did not, however, make any decisions or issue any
declaration, and will meet again on the issue in the future.
In past years, the Knesset held hearings on the subject, but only
behind the closed doors of its foreign and defence committee.
This was the first time such a discussion was open to the public.
Proposals by lawmakers to hold hearings on the issue were rejected
by governments over the years, when ties between Israel and Turkey
were warm.
But relations plunged into deep crisis last year when Israeli forces
killed nine Turks in a raid on a Turkish ferry, part of an activist
flotilla seeking to breach Israel's naval blockade of Gaza.
In October, Turkey expelled the Israeli ambassador and axed military
ties and defence trade. Last week, Israel cancelled completion of a
2008 contract to sell Turkey aerial surveillance equipment.
Committee chairman Alex Miller of the nationalist Yisrael Beiteinu --
the party headed by Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman -- said the
discussion would focus on the "educational and academic" aspects
of the issue, such as the correct way to address it in schools and
universities, rather than its security and diplomatic angles.
Knesset speaker Reuven Rivlin also stressed that the issue was not
a political one.
"The subject has not arisen at the Knesset because things happened
between Israel and Turkey; not because we want to exploit a political
situation in order to settle accounts," he told the committee at the
start of its debate.
But a foreign ministry representative at the discussion warned of
the repercussions an Israeli move toward recognising the Armenian
genocide could have on the already-strained relations with Turkey.
"Our relations with them are so fragile today, it is not right to
push them over the red line," Irit Lillian said. "Such a recognition
at this stage could have severe ramifications."
Ariyeh Eldad of the right-wing National Union party, who along with
Zehava Gal-On of the left-wing Meretz party initiated the hearing,
said: "In the past it was wrong to bring up the issue because our
ties with Turkey were good; now it is wrong because our ties with
them are bad. When will the time be right?"
Gal-On said Israel had a "moral and historic obligation" to recognise
the genocide of a million and a half Armenians, "especially when we
are still struggling against Holocaust denial. The Israeli educational
system cannot silence the Armenian genocide."
Georgette Avakian of the Armenian National Committee in Jerusalem
was reservedly satisfied at the meeting's conclusion.
"This was a breakthrough, since the education committee dealt with
it," she told AFP. "But I'm disappointed that they haven't reached
any conclusions and are putting it off" for further discussions.
Armenians say up to 1.5 million of their kinsmen died in orchestrated
killings during the final years of the Ottoman Empire.
The Turkish government strongly denies this, saying 300,000 Armenians
and as many Turks were killed in civil conflict when the Christian
Armenians, backed by Russia, rose up against the Ottoman Empire.
France's lower house voted last week to criminalise the denial
of genocide in Armenia, prompting Turkey to suspend political and
military cooperation.
Agence France Presse
Dec 26 2011
JERUSALEM - An Israeli parliamentary committee held a landmark
discussion on recognising genocide in Armenia on Monday, a move likely
to further strain already tense relations with Turkey.
During the discussion on the "Jewish people's recognition of the
Armenian genocide," as defined by the committee, lawmakers, historians
and members of the local Armenian community stressed Israel's moral
obligation to officially recognise the Armenian tragedy as a genocide.
The committee did not, however, make any decisions or issue any
declaration, and will meet again on the issue in the future.
In past years, the Knesset held hearings on the subject, but only
behind the closed doors of its foreign and defence committee.
This was the first time such a discussion was open to the public.
Proposals by lawmakers to hold hearings on the issue were rejected
by governments over the years, when ties between Israel and Turkey
were warm.
But relations plunged into deep crisis last year when Israeli forces
killed nine Turks in a raid on a Turkish ferry, part of an activist
flotilla seeking to breach Israel's naval blockade of Gaza.
In October, Turkey expelled the Israeli ambassador and axed military
ties and defence trade. Last week, Israel cancelled completion of a
2008 contract to sell Turkey aerial surveillance equipment.
Committee chairman Alex Miller of the nationalist Yisrael Beiteinu --
the party headed by Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman -- said the
discussion would focus on the "educational and academic" aspects
of the issue, such as the correct way to address it in schools and
universities, rather than its security and diplomatic angles.
Knesset speaker Reuven Rivlin also stressed that the issue was not
a political one.
"The subject has not arisen at the Knesset because things happened
between Israel and Turkey; not because we want to exploit a political
situation in order to settle accounts," he told the committee at the
start of its debate.
But a foreign ministry representative at the discussion warned of
the repercussions an Israeli move toward recognising the Armenian
genocide could have on the already-strained relations with Turkey.
"Our relations with them are so fragile today, it is not right to
push them over the red line," Irit Lillian said. "Such a recognition
at this stage could have severe ramifications."
Ariyeh Eldad of the right-wing National Union party, who along with
Zehava Gal-On of the left-wing Meretz party initiated the hearing,
said: "In the past it was wrong to bring up the issue because our
ties with Turkey were good; now it is wrong because our ties with
them are bad. When will the time be right?"
Gal-On said Israel had a "moral and historic obligation" to recognise
the genocide of a million and a half Armenians, "especially when we
are still struggling against Holocaust denial. The Israeli educational
system cannot silence the Armenian genocide."
Georgette Avakian of the Armenian National Committee in Jerusalem
was reservedly satisfied at the meeting's conclusion.
"This was a breakthrough, since the education committee dealt with
it," she told AFP. "But I'm disappointed that they haven't reached
any conclusions and are putting it off" for further discussions.
Armenians say up to 1.5 million of their kinsmen died in orchestrated
killings during the final years of the Ottoman Empire.
The Turkish government strongly denies this, saying 300,000 Armenians
and as many Turks were killed in civil conflict when the Christian
Armenians, backed by Russia, rose up against the Ottoman Empire.
France's lower house voted last week to criminalise the denial
of genocide in Armenia, prompting Turkey to suspend political and
military cooperation.