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ISRAEL'S PARLIAMENT DEBATES MASSACRE OF ARMENIANS
Assyrian International News Agency
http://www.aina.org/news/20120612201749.htm
June 13 2012
(VOA) -- The Israeli parliament Tuesday debated whether to recognize
the mass killing of Armenians by Ottoman Turks early in the 20th
century as an act of genocide, a move that would further aggravate
already tense relations between between Israel and Turkey.
Armenians say the Ottoman Turks killed about 1.5 million of their
people in an orchestrated campaign between 1915 and 1923 and have
urged governments to recognize the killings as genocide.
Many governments, including Israel's, have in the past avoided the
issue in order not to anger Ankara. But relations between Israel and
Turkey have deteriorated since Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip
Erdogan took office and moved toward what many Israelis see as an
Islamic-oriented rule.
Israeli Environment Minister Gilad Erdan said during Tuesday's
discussion in the Knesset that Israel should recognize the mass
killing of Armenians as genocide. However, Knesset Speaker Reuven
Rivlin said the debate was not targeted at modern Turkey.
No vote was taken Tuesday.
Israeli-American political analyst and author Leon Hadar told VOA that
a growing number of Israeli lawmakers once reluctant to tackle the
Armenian issue now want to put it on the table to keep Turkey in check.
"I think there is actually very strong support for such a move both
on the political right, that is angry at Turkey because of its views
on the Palestinian-Israeli issue, and also among members of the left,
which always wanted to condemn the Turks for the atrocities and were
prevented from doing that by the government. So there is a strong
and genuine public support to condemn the Turks on this issue."
Hadar says the recognition of the massacre as genocide would boost
the Armenian cause worldwide, but would further strain Israel's ties
with Turkey.
"The government at this point still wants to keep the door open to some
kind of detente between Israel and Turkey. So my guess is that they
might put this issue on the table and eventually decide to postpone
the vote for a while or put it on hold. "
More than 20 countries have recognized the massacre of Armenians as
genocide, but the United States and Israel are not among them.
Israeli-Turkish relations reached a low point in 2010 after Israeli
soldiers killed nine Turks in a raid on a flotilla that tried to
breach an Israeli blockade of Gaza and deliver humanitarian aid to
its residents.
Turkey is a key U.S. ally in the Middle East.
Assyrian International News Agency
http://www.aina.org/news/20120612201749.htm
June 13 2012
(VOA) -- The Israeli parliament Tuesday debated whether to recognize
the mass killing of Armenians by Ottoman Turks early in the 20th
century as an act of genocide, a move that would further aggravate
already tense relations between between Israel and Turkey.
Armenians say the Ottoman Turks killed about 1.5 million of their
people in an orchestrated campaign between 1915 and 1923 and have
urged governments to recognize the killings as genocide.
Many governments, including Israel's, have in the past avoided the
issue in order not to anger Ankara. But relations between Israel and
Turkey have deteriorated since Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip
Erdogan took office and moved toward what many Israelis see as an
Islamic-oriented rule.
Israeli Environment Minister Gilad Erdan said during Tuesday's
discussion in the Knesset that Israel should recognize the mass
killing of Armenians as genocide. However, Knesset Speaker Reuven
Rivlin said the debate was not targeted at modern Turkey.
No vote was taken Tuesday.
Israeli-American political analyst and author Leon Hadar told VOA that
a growing number of Israeli lawmakers once reluctant to tackle the
Armenian issue now want to put it on the table to keep Turkey in check.
"I think there is actually very strong support for such a move both
on the political right, that is angry at Turkey because of its views
on the Palestinian-Israeli issue, and also among members of the left,
which always wanted to condemn the Turks for the atrocities and were
prevented from doing that by the government. So there is a strong
and genuine public support to condemn the Turks on this issue."
Hadar says the recognition of the massacre as genocide would boost
the Armenian cause worldwide, but would further strain Israel's ties
with Turkey.
"The government at this point still wants to keep the door open to some
kind of detente between Israel and Turkey. So my guess is that they
might put this issue on the table and eventually decide to postpone
the vote for a while or put it on hold. "
More than 20 countries have recognized the massacre of Armenians as
genocide, but the United States and Israel are not among them.
Israeli-Turkish relations reached a low point in 2010 after Israeli
soldiers killed nine Turks in a raid on a flotilla that tried to
breach an Israeli blockade of Gaza and deliver humanitarian aid to
its residents.
Turkey is a key U.S. ally in the Middle East.