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ANKARA: Israeli Knesset's Armenia Move Not A 'Counterattack

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  • ANKARA: Israeli Knesset's Armenia Move Not A 'Counterattack

    ISRAELI KNESSET'S ARMENIA MOVE NOT A 'COUNTERATTACK
    FULYA OZERKAN

    ANKARA - Hurriyet Daily News
    Tuesday, May 24, 2011

    Israeli parliament, or Knesset's, decision to discuss the 1915 events
    in a parliamentary committee is not a counterattack in response to
    plans for a new flotilla bound for Gaza next month, said a diplomatic
    source familiar with the issue on Tuesday.

    "I don't think so. It has no connection. The flotilla issue was not
    raised by any of the Knesset members in the plenary session last week,"
    said the source.

    "It [the Armenia issue] comes up again and again at the plenary floor
    by the same party." Israel's left-wing Meretz party is calling for
    the Jewish state's recognition of Armenian genocide allegations.

    Last week, the Israeli Parliament gave approval at a plenary session
    for the discussion of the Armenian genocide bill at the education
    committee.

    "It is a general decision. We'll see. It is just a plan. There is no
    date. There is not even planned content for what will be discussed
    in the future," the source said.

    Different from the past, the issue, if approved, will be discussed by
    the education committee, instead of the defense and foreign relations
    committee.

    "Even though in the past there were a few decisions to discuss
    the matter in the foreign relations committee, it has never been
    raised thus far. Only the plenary decided it will be discussed in
    the committee and then the head of the committee chose not to bring
    it up," the source said.

    "I will not say if that is going to happen again. There are chances
    that it is going to be discussed, but even if it is going to be
    discussed, the education committee cannot oblige the government to
    take action."

    Any decision made by the education committee on the issue is
    non-binding and it is up to the Israeli government to implement it.

    The committee decision, if taken by majority and accepted by the
    Israeli government, can only have impact on the country's educational
    curriculum.

    "It is not about Israeli parliament recognizing [the so-called Armenian
    genocide claims] or not recognizing them. It was not an issue in the
    plenary. The representative of the Israeli government has repeated,
    in his answer to the Knesset members, the old, known Israeli point
    of view regarding this issue," said the source.

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