Tweet
Vestnik Kavkaza, Russia
June 14 2012
Strange meeting of Israeli parliament
On Tuesday the Israeli parliament debated whether to recognize the
alleged Armenian genocide of 1915. After the meeting, the leader of
the ruling coalition, Zeev Elkin, announced that the lawmakers came
close to recognition. It's quite clear, however, that this was the
strangest meeting in the history of the Israeli parliament.
The bill was proposed by Zahava Galon, the chair of the dovish Meretz
party, and Arye Eldad of the Ihud Leumi party.
Before the meeting, Israeli Prime Minister Bebjamin Netanyahu asked
the parliamentary speaker, Reuven Rivlin, not to include the issue on
the agenda, but the speaker ignored Netanyahu's request. The speaker's
decision seemed very extraordinary.
Before the meeting, representatives of the Armenian disapora in Israel
and former members of parliament who supported the initiative stormed
the house of parliament.
The meeting was opened by the speaker, who said that it was his own
duty as a lawmaker, as a Jew and as a human being to secure the
adoption of the bill.
Reuven Rivlin denied the debate was related to the deteriorating ties
with Turkey. `The Turks will definitely be angry, but there is no
intention to provoke, only to remember,' he said. `The free world must
remember, to learn the lessons so it won't happen again.'
"How can we demand the recognition of our tragedy," the speaker asked,
referring to the Holocaust, "If we do not recognize the tragedies of
other people?"
Zahava Galon, Dova Khanina, Nisim Zeev and Nino Abesadze, who
addressed the assembly next, underlined that the bill was not
politically motivated, but sought truth and justice. "Of course, one
cannot compare the Armenian genocide of 1915 with the Holocaust, but
it still should be recognized," one of them said.
Some members even said that Ottoman Turks killed 90 per cent of the
Armenian people, but when MP Robert Tivlyayev tried to explain that
this was simply not true, he was interrupted harshly by the speaker.
MP Nisim Zeev acknowledged that mass killing of the Armenian
population took place after Armenians started pro-Russian riots. Even
though Zeev also called for recognition of the genocide.
It seems that Israeli lawmakers simply don't understand that the
intiative will spoil already unstable Turkish-Israeli relations and
damage Israel's national interests.
Robert Tivyayev of the Kadima party was the only one to openly oppose
the bill. "The issue is very complicated. I believe first of all it
should be examined by Turkish and Armenian historians. Israel should
not interfere right now. It will only spoil our relations with
Turkey," he said.
Tivlyayev's speech was interrupted by the speaker, who said "Thank
you, Mister Tivyayev. Your position is quite clear. You oppose
recognition of the Armenian tragedy as such."
Ending the meeting, the speaker said that the issue will also be
discussed by the parliamentary commission for education.
Commenting on the issue, former head of the commission Alex Miller
underlined that the speaker's position is not crucial. The speaker has
the power to put this or that problem on the agenda, but he has no
power to secure particular results of voting. Miller's own position is
that the Armnenian genocide should be discussed by academicians and
not by lawmakers.
Pyotr Lyukimson, Israel. Exclusively to VK
June 14 2012
Strange meeting of Israeli parliament
On Tuesday the Israeli parliament debated whether to recognize the
alleged Armenian genocide of 1915. After the meeting, the leader of
the ruling coalition, Zeev Elkin, announced that the lawmakers came
close to recognition. It's quite clear, however, that this was the
strangest meeting in the history of the Israeli parliament.
The bill was proposed by Zahava Galon, the chair of the dovish Meretz
party, and Arye Eldad of the Ihud Leumi party.
Before the meeting, Israeli Prime Minister Bebjamin Netanyahu asked
the parliamentary speaker, Reuven Rivlin, not to include the issue on
the agenda, but the speaker ignored Netanyahu's request. The speaker's
decision seemed very extraordinary.
Before the meeting, representatives of the Armenian disapora in Israel
and former members of parliament who supported the initiative stormed
the house of parliament.
The meeting was opened by the speaker, who said that it was his own
duty as a lawmaker, as a Jew and as a human being to secure the
adoption of the bill.
Reuven Rivlin denied the debate was related to the deteriorating ties
with Turkey. `The Turks will definitely be angry, but there is no
intention to provoke, only to remember,' he said. `The free world must
remember, to learn the lessons so it won't happen again.'
"How can we demand the recognition of our tragedy," the speaker asked,
referring to the Holocaust, "If we do not recognize the tragedies of
other people?"
Zahava Galon, Dova Khanina, Nisim Zeev and Nino Abesadze, who
addressed the assembly next, underlined that the bill was not
politically motivated, but sought truth and justice. "Of course, one
cannot compare the Armenian genocide of 1915 with the Holocaust, but
it still should be recognized," one of them said.
Some members even said that Ottoman Turks killed 90 per cent of the
Armenian people, but when MP Robert Tivlyayev tried to explain that
this was simply not true, he was interrupted harshly by the speaker.
MP Nisim Zeev acknowledged that mass killing of the Armenian
population took place after Armenians started pro-Russian riots. Even
though Zeev also called for recognition of the genocide.
It seems that Israeli lawmakers simply don't understand that the
intiative will spoil already unstable Turkish-Israeli relations and
damage Israel's national interests.
Robert Tivyayev of the Kadima party was the only one to openly oppose
the bill. "The issue is very complicated. I believe first of all it
should be examined by Turkish and Armenian historians. Israel should
not interfere right now. It will only spoil our relations with
Turkey," he said.
Tivlyayev's speech was interrupted by the speaker, who said "Thank
you, Mister Tivyayev. Your position is quite clear. You oppose
recognition of the Armenian tragedy as such."
Ending the meeting, the speaker said that the issue will also be
discussed by the parliamentary commission for education.
Commenting on the issue, former head of the commission Alex Miller
underlined that the speaker's position is not crucial. The speaker has
the power to put this or that problem on the agenda, but he has no
power to secure particular results of voting. Miller's own position is
that the Armnenian genocide should be discussed by academicians and
not by lawmakers.
Pyotr Lyukimson, Israel. Exclusively to VK