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KNESSET GIVES NO DECISION ON 'ARMENIAN KILLINGS'
Hurriyet Daily News
Dec 27 2011
Turkey
After the France decided to penalize denial of Armenian 'genocide,'
Knesset committee discusses 'recognition of Armenian killings in 1915,'
despite the objections of Israeli PM and nationalist FM. The committee
comes up with no decision
Over their prime minister's objections, Israeli lawmakers yesterday
began debating a proposal to recognize the "mass killings of Armenians
by Ottoman Turks," with no final decision.
The discussion was unusually held in the Knesset's education committee,
described as the weakest committee in terms of its political weight. It
can not make any political decisions. It can only give recommendations
for educational issues.
In past years, the Knesset held hearings on the subject, but only
behind the closed doors of its foreign and defense committees. This
was the first time such a discussion was open to the public mainly
because the all the discussions in the education committee are
open to press coverage. As expected. the committee did not make any
decisions or issue any declaration, and will meet again on the issue
in the future. Although the media reports said the Knesset debated
to recognize "Armenian genocide" yesterday, the word "genocide"
was not used in the original Hebrew version of the proposal, Israeli
sources said.
Committee Chairman Alex Miller of the nationalist Yisrael Beiteinu
- the party headed by Foreign Affairs 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, Agence France-Presse reported. "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 recognizing Armenian genocide
allegations 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 recognition at
this stage could have severe ramifications." Lilian said very openly
Foreign Minister's opinion on the issue that "it is not political
debate, it should be a historical or academically searched topic."
An Israeli government official confirmed that Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu had requested the debate be canceled because "it would be
better for the country if this did not take place."
Aryeh 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?" Lawmakers' proposals 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.
Hurriyet Daily News
Dec 27 2011
Turkey
After the France decided to penalize denial of Armenian 'genocide,'
Knesset committee discusses 'recognition of Armenian killings in 1915,'
despite the objections of Israeli PM and nationalist FM. The committee
comes up with no decision
Over their prime minister's objections, Israeli lawmakers yesterday
began debating a proposal to recognize the "mass killings of Armenians
by Ottoman Turks," with no final decision.
The discussion was unusually held in the Knesset's education committee,
described as the weakest committee in terms of its political weight. It
can not make any political decisions. It can only give recommendations
for educational issues.
In past years, the Knesset held hearings on the subject, but only
behind the closed doors of its foreign and defense committees. This
was the first time such a discussion was open to the public mainly
because the all the discussions in the education committee are
open to press coverage. As expected. the committee did not make any
decisions or issue any declaration, and will meet again on the issue
in the future. Although the media reports said the Knesset debated
to recognize "Armenian genocide" yesterday, the word "genocide"
was not used in the original Hebrew version of the proposal, Israeli
sources said.
Committee Chairman Alex Miller of the nationalist Yisrael Beiteinu
- the party headed by Foreign Affairs 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, Agence France-Presse reported. "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 recognizing Armenian genocide
allegations 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 recognition at
this stage could have severe ramifications." Lilian said very openly
Foreign Minister's opinion on the issue that "it is not political
debate, it should be a historical or academically searched topic."
An Israeli government official confirmed that Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu had requested the debate be canceled because "it would be
better for the country if this did not take place."
Aryeh 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?" Lawmakers' proposals 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.