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ADL IS NOT JUST "SOME" JEWISH ORGANIZATION
Stepan Sargsyan
KarabakhOpen
31-08-2007 11:08:45
Dear KarabakhOpen,
I read an interview by Vahram Atanesyan, chairman of the foreign
relations committee of the NKR Parliament, published in the
Russian version of your newspaper on August 31, 2007. Specifically,
Mr. Atanesyan downplayed the importance of recognition of the Armenian
Genocide (AG) by the Jewish American Anti Defamation League (ADL)
organization. Specifically, he stated that such recognition will have
neither political nor legal consequences.
While Vahram Atanesyan is correct in considering Turkey's own
recognition of AG as important, the ongoing controversy involving
the ADL carries much more significance, both political and legal,
than Mr. Atanessyan assigns to it.
ADL is one of the strongest and most influential lobbyists in
Washington among the Jewish organizations of America, which comprise
the most powerful ethnic lobby. Its influence is so great that every
time a resolution recognizing the AG is brought before the American
Congress, the Turkish and Israeli governments appeal to ADL, among
other Jewish organizations, to conduct anti-Armenian lobbying efforts
in Washington. The fact alone that such a resolution has still not
been passed by the Congress is a testament of ADL's strength in
Washington and its influence among American legislators.
Another factor that evidences ADL's importance as one of the most
important lobbyist of Turkish interests in USA is the uproar in Turkey
over the reversal of ADL's position on the AG. Many other Jewish
American organizations have accepted the undeniable fact of the AG,
including the Jewish World Watch, but none of these organizations
have touched nerves in Turkey the way ADL did. Again, the reason is
ADL's importance as a lobbying tool for Turkey.
Therefore, comments by Mr. Atanesyan on the insignificance of this
recognition do not reflect the reality, at least the reality of the
battle waged in Washington over the passage of the AG resolution. ADL
is not just "some" Jewish organization, as Mr. Atanesyan characterized
it. It is the main opponent of Armenian lobbyists in Washington. If
NKR had the kind of lobbying ally in Washington that could match
the political clout of ADL, many of the problems of NKR would have
long been solved, including its political isolation. Therefore,
ADL's reversal of position on an issue so sensitive for Turkey is
a big loss of the Turkish diplomacy as it has started loosing its
primary and most effective tool of countering the Armenian efforts
of passing an AG resolution. As such, this reversal has not only
political implications, but it will have legal consequences as well
when the American Congress passes the resolution. Being the only
superpower in the world, a recognition by USA will pave the way for
a universal recognition by the entire international community. Given
that the recognition of the AG by the Turkish government will occur
only under intense international pressure, such pressure may be brought
about after the major powers have formally recognized and enshrined in
their laws the undeniable truth of the 20th century's first genocide.
P.S. During this controversy, the factor that has been most
overlooked is the conduct of the Jewish American community. While the
controversy was touched off by a letter of a local Armenian American,
it was the outspoken stance of the support base of ADL, the regular
Jewish American citizens and local politicians, that forced ADL to
reverse its position. In fact, the town in which the controversy
started has the biggest Jewish American community in the state of
Massachusetts. Therefore, this controversy does not just involve one
powerful organization, but evidences a fundamental shift of attitude
towards the AG within the Jewish American community. This shift
of attitude in the support base will force ADL to eventually stop
opposing the AG resolution as well. The significance of this is hard
to overstate as Jewish American organizations have been the long-time
lobbyist of Turkish interests. For this reason, the Armenian lobbying
organizations, namely the Armenian National Committee of America, which
has been the leading voice in this controversy, deserve much applaud
for transforming the AG recognition from a purely ethnic political
issue into one of morality and historical justice, a stand to which
the average Jewish American can relate and voice his or her support.
Stepan Sargsyan
KarabakhOpen
31-08-2007 11:08:45
Dear KarabakhOpen,
I read an interview by Vahram Atanesyan, chairman of the foreign
relations committee of the NKR Parliament, published in the
Russian version of your newspaper on August 31, 2007. Specifically,
Mr. Atanesyan downplayed the importance of recognition of the Armenian
Genocide (AG) by the Jewish American Anti Defamation League (ADL)
organization. Specifically, he stated that such recognition will have
neither political nor legal consequences.
While Vahram Atanesyan is correct in considering Turkey's own
recognition of AG as important, the ongoing controversy involving
the ADL carries much more significance, both political and legal,
than Mr. Atanessyan assigns to it.
ADL is one of the strongest and most influential lobbyists in
Washington among the Jewish organizations of America, which comprise
the most powerful ethnic lobby. Its influence is so great that every
time a resolution recognizing the AG is brought before the American
Congress, the Turkish and Israeli governments appeal to ADL, among
other Jewish organizations, to conduct anti-Armenian lobbying efforts
in Washington. The fact alone that such a resolution has still not
been passed by the Congress is a testament of ADL's strength in
Washington and its influence among American legislators.
Another factor that evidences ADL's importance as one of the most
important lobbyist of Turkish interests in USA is the uproar in Turkey
over the reversal of ADL's position on the AG. Many other Jewish
American organizations have accepted the undeniable fact of the AG,
including the Jewish World Watch, but none of these organizations
have touched nerves in Turkey the way ADL did. Again, the reason is
ADL's importance as a lobbying tool for Turkey.
Therefore, comments by Mr. Atanesyan on the insignificance of this
recognition do not reflect the reality, at least the reality of the
battle waged in Washington over the passage of the AG resolution. ADL
is not just "some" Jewish organization, as Mr. Atanesyan characterized
it. It is the main opponent of Armenian lobbyists in Washington. If
NKR had the kind of lobbying ally in Washington that could match
the political clout of ADL, many of the problems of NKR would have
long been solved, including its political isolation. Therefore,
ADL's reversal of position on an issue so sensitive for Turkey is
a big loss of the Turkish diplomacy as it has started loosing its
primary and most effective tool of countering the Armenian efforts
of passing an AG resolution. As such, this reversal has not only
political implications, but it will have legal consequences as well
when the American Congress passes the resolution. Being the only
superpower in the world, a recognition by USA will pave the way for
a universal recognition by the entire international community. Given
that the recognition of the AG by the Turkish government will occur
only under intense international pressure, such pressure may be brought
about after the major powers have formally recognized and enshrined in
their laws the undeniable truth of the 20th century's first genocide.
P.S. During this controversy, the factor that has been most
overlooked is the conduct of the Jewish American community. While the
controversy was touched off by a letter of a local Armenian American,
it was the outspoken stance of the support base of ADL, the regular
Jewish American citizens and local politicians, that forced ADL to
reverse its position. In fact, the town in which the controversy
started has the biggest Jewish American community in the state of
Massachusetts. Therefore, this controversy does not just involve one
powerful organization, but evidences a fundamental shift of attitude
towards the AG within the Jewish American community. This shift
of attitude in the support base will force ADL to eventually stop
opposing the AG resolution as well. The significance of this is hard
to overstate as Jewish American organizations have been the long-time
lobbyist of Turkish interests. For this reason, the Armenian lobbying
organizations, namely the Armenian National Committee of America, which
has been the leading voice in this controversy, deserve much applaud
for transforming the AG recognition from a purely ethnic political
issue into one of morality and historical justice, a stand to which
the average Jewish American can relate and voice his or her support.