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Analysis: Odds Against Knesset Recognition Of Armenian Genocide

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  • Analysis: Odds Against Knesset Recognition Of Armenian Genocide

    ANALYSIS: ODDS AGAINST KNESSET RECOGNITION OF ARMENIAN GENOCIDE
    Aris Ghazinyan

    ArmeniaNow reporter
    Genocide | 29.04.10 | 13:29

    Haim Oron has initiated putting the genocide recognition bill on
    Knesset's agenda.

    On April 28, Israeli parliamentarians decided to put the issue of the
    Armenian Genocide on the Knesset's agenda of discussions, reviving
    an initiative that has been a complication for the Israelis since at
    least 2007.

    Israel's Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and Defense is hugely
    influenced by Turkish and Azeri lobbies and the issue might, once
    again, fall into oblivion.

    In August of 2007, the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) stated that
    it would recognize the 1915 killings of 1.5 million Armenians as
    Genocide. ADL Chairman Abraham Foxman said the decision was made
    after careful consideration.

    That piece of information outraged Turkey. At a meeting with the
    Israeli Ambassador in Ankara the then foreign minister of Turkey
    Abdulla Gul expressed his "wrath and disappointment" on behalf of
    his country.

    He also stated that the " Anti-Defamation League's statement was,
    of course, made without official intervention, nonetheless Israel
    could have done something to prevent that statement".

    Turkish Prime-Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan discussed the issue
    with Israeli president Shimon Peres who had repeatedly stressed that
    "the Armenian tragedy should not be confused with genocide".

    During the past two years heated debates haven taken place in Knesset
    on the appropriateness of putting the Armenian Genocide issue on the
    agenda of discussions.

    On March 26, 2008, Knesset was discussing whether they should put the
    issue of the Armenian Genocide recognition on the agenda, when the
    chairman of Parliamentary Association of Israel-Azerbaijan Friendship,
    MP Joseph Shagal (Our Home Israel political party member) made a new
    suggestion on submitting the issue to the Foreign Affairs and Defense
    Committee where the case stalled.

    Two years later the issue is once more on Knesset's agenda.

    This time, Benjamin Netanyahu suggested that the bill should further
    be considered by the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee - again
    facing the influence of the Turkish and Azeri lobby.

    This fact comes handy to Our Home Israel faction which has voted
    against the bill.

    On April 17, prior to the voting, Josef Shagal, who is also member
    of that faction, said in an exclusive interview to 1news.az paper
    that "supporters of recognition of the so-called 'Armenian Genocide'
    are a handful of marginalized Israelis, and this issue is, probably,
    the only way to remind about their political existence".

    Shagal, 60, was born and grew up in Baku where he has lived most of
    his life. He has graduated from history faculty of Azerbaijan's State
    University. Until his repatriation to Israel he had worked in Baku
    as a journalist.

    It should also be noted that the initiator of the issue himself,
    MP Haim Oron, does not believe a 'positive result' is likely to
    be achieved, however, thinks it necessary to try to obtain a just
    solution to the issue and recognize the Armenian Genocide.

    Israel's official position has been repeatedly voiced: "Israel
    recognizes the Armenian tragedy, however that event cannot be compared
    to genocide, which, nonetheless, does not belittle their tragedy.

    Holocaust is an unprecedented phenomenon, and nothing, including
    Armenian's tragedy, can be compared to the Jewish Holocaust".
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