Knesset Speaker working to boost recognition of Armenian genocide
Reuven Rivlin says it is his duty as a Jew and Israeli to recognize the 'tragedies of other people.'
By Jonathan Lis Tags: Israel Turkey KnessetKnesset Speaker Reuven Rivlin said Monday that he wanted to convene an annual parliamentary session of the full Knesset to mark the Armenian genocide of 1915 and 1916 at the hands of the Turks. "It is my duty as a Jew and Israeli to recognize the tragedies of other peoples," Rivlin said, speaking to an Israel-based Armenian action committee.
Rivlin added: "Diplomatic considerations, important as they may be, do not allow us to deny the disaster [experienced by] another people."
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Rivlin. Wants to limit a proposal that could enable discrimination. |
| Photo by: Emil Salman |
In recent years the Prime Minister's Office and the Foreign Ministry have applied heavy pressure to head off such sessions of the Knesset out of concern that relations between Israel and Turkey would be harmed. Turkey denies that it committed genocide against the Armenians.
Since 2008, the full Knesset has allowed the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee to hold sessions that have been closed to the media about the Armenian genocide. Last week, for the first time, the full Knesset approved the convening of an open, public session on the issue by the Education, Culture and Sports Committee, at the request of Meretz Knesset member Zahava Gal-On. This represents a complete change in approach on the issue.
In 1915 to 1916, between a million and a million and a half Armenians reportedly lost their lives in Turkey, representing about a third of the Armenian people. Armenians have been campaigning for international recognition of the genocide, but the Turks have been active in countering these efforts. Turkey claims there was no genocide, and that in the course of the Armenian fight for independence between 250,000 and 500,000 Armenians and a similar number of Turks lost their lives.
As part of the Foreign Ministry's attempt in recent years to block pro-Armenian genocide commemorations, in 2007, ministry staff expressed what was called "dissatisfaction" with plans to hold a session in the Knesset plenum on the issue. The prime minister at the time, Ehud Olmert, intervened to have the session canceled.
Several months before that, tensions with Turkey rose after the U.S.-based Anti-Defamation League supported an effort to have the U.S. Congress recognize the genocide. The Turkish government responded by asking the Israeli government to apply pressure on the ADL to moderate its stand on the Congressional debate. Responding to the entreaties of the president of Turkey, Israeli President Shimon Peres also approached ADL national director Abraham Foxman on the issue, after which the organization reversed course and softened its stance.
In October of 2008, in an unprecedented move, the Knesset voted to have a parliamentary committee convene on the Armenian genocide at the initiative of then-Meretz chairman Haim Oron, paving the way for the sessions in the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee. Over the past two years, however, after relations between Israel and Turkey deteriorated, the Foreign Ministry's opposition to the issue abated, though Rivlin's latest move was at his own initiative.
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The all world knows that what happened in 1915 was a genocide against the Armenians. Israel should have been the first to speak out !
more than 20 countries already recognise armenian genocide,israel should be the first to do so,why not till now,as an armenian we always feel the suffering that others went thru similar painful event regardless their nationality ...
What a racist comment from a nation who have suffered from the same curse in such a tragic scale. Humans do not learn do they ?
The Knesset should set up a historical commission first to investigate the role the Yishuv played during World War I. Were Jews persecuted by the Young Turks like the Armenians, or did we not rather have a good relationship with those guys who were anti-Arab ethnic nationalists like ourselves? Remember that in World War I Germany was our ally and put in a good word for the Yishuv in Constantinople ...... To make a long story short, dealing with the Armenian Genocide to hit at illoyal Turkey could backfire on us dearly ......
There is no place for pitty realk politik. The Knesset must recognize the Armenian genocide, it is a moral duty !
Since when did Israel care about the Armenian Genocide? Not before the relationship between Israel and Turkey became strained. How dare Israel use the Armenian Genocide against the Turks while Israel refused to identify with the Armenians only until recently.
...could be busy with the israelis and the nakba. Then they should apologize to each other. Israel and Turkey is a love story. And, as you know, being in love is according to the doctors some kind of madness. Say no more.
We should have recognized this genocide a long long time ago. This horrific stain on humankind must never be forgotten.
Do not forget the Gypsies. They were also killed in Europe. at least 200,000.
1915-1916 between years to many TURKISH people dies for ARMENIAN rebel attack.This is sitution to support Russian country..Also Some europe country.Specially FRANCE.And then goverment to taken decided.All armenian people to move other countires.(Lebanon-Russian-Syria)when transport tohose people some people die for travelling.ITS ALL.I would to asked all reading person..If you are country in the war,some people living your countries to attack your nationalty people. what can you do ?
so we can cut off all ties for good, starting to get sick and tired of Israel. plz recognize it instead of using it as a tool so I can regain some respect to Israelis...
No wonder the Turks are so loved by Arabs, Kurds, Europeans etc.
it is every Jews duty to recognize the suffering of the Palestinians first
better later than never
Shame on all the governments who did not recognize the Armenian Genocide. The Turks have always been successful in bribing, blackmailing and terrorizing governments not to recognize the Genocide that they commited. They the allies were the Turks but now it is Azerbaijan another sect of Turks. Wait and see one day if the Azerbaijanis are not going to stab Israel as the Turks did. It seems that Israel is a turtle in learning from history.
I though Israel needed Turkey's water, its tomatoes and its markets for Israeli goods. No?
It is getting silly how much the Israeli government wants to make more enemies in the world. Go ahead and destroy relations with Turkey one minor event a year ago is being aggrandized because the diplomatic service is run by a thug.
As commendable this action is, that is recognizing the Armenian genocide, especially by Jews who faced the worst type of genocide, this should have been done a long time ago! The problem is that good relations with Turkey prevented this from happening for a very long time! People should always fight for what is right and wrong. All I can say now is: Go Israel...I hope you will recognize the Armenian genocide with the rest of the World to follow!
Instead of messing around sending boats to Gaza
Thank you, Knesset Speaker. At least you have the courage to speak your mind. I hope you push through until the double-faced Israeli policy on the Armenian genocide is straightened up. Know your friends, because when you will face your enemies, they will be standing by your side.
since Turkey, as part of a democratization movement, to gain entry into the EU, has to recognize the Armenian genocide, get rid of the military dictatorship, etc. To update you, Hasan Cemal met with the Armenians at UCLA in a dialogue meeting this month, where he, as grandson of Jemal Pasha, one of the masterminds of the genocide, called it a genocide; and he has become friends with the Armenian grandson of the assassin of his grandfather. Hasan Cemal wants the Turks to know their history and their "roots", not the version that they are taught by the govt. which is denial, which is the last stage of genocide. He believes that as the civil society is mobilized, they can change the govt. and the govt. will eventually apologize to the Armenians, as Germany did to the Jews. This will, as well as other steps, get Turkey into the EU. One can only hope Turkey will achieve that goal within 5 years. It would certainly be good for the Jews and Israel, since it would be a muslim country, democratic and ally with the west, very much unlike Iran, etc. Hasan Cemal does feel that he had nothing to do with the genocide, and can't carry the burden any longer for his future generations and wants to remove the black burden from Turkey. He is taking big steps for his country; let's hope that eventually they will follow him, and into the EU. Israel supports Turkey's bid for the EU, so let's support this reconciliation so Turkey can get into the EU.
What about recognising the 800,000 Jewish refugees from Arab countries?
Professor Yehouda Shenhav of Tel Aviv U has debunked this myth. See "Hitching a ride on the magic carpet: Any analogy between Palestinian refugees and Jewish immigrants from Arab lands is folly in historical and political terms," Haaretz, Aug. 15, 2003.
Denial of the Jewish Refugees from Arab countries is the same as Holocaust Denial.
How much this has to do with decency and how much this has to do with the flotilla?
One has to recognize and commend the israeli parlament for rectifying the past and recognize the 1915 mass murder of Armeninas in Turkey as genocide and Armenina Holocaust. After all it was Hitler who said when pushing for the genocide of Jews in Europe: " Who remebers the Armenina tragdy in 1915. there are many examples where countries and nations do change their stand and recognize past crimes aginst other mations. Russia did finaly admitted the morder for 15,000 Polish intelectuals,, priests and army officers in Katyn in 1941. Paula Brooks DO YOU QUESTION THE MOTIVES OF RUSSIAN AUTHORITIES IN ADMOTTING THE CRIME PERPETRATED IN KATYN. It amy be in part for political motives to improve the relations with Polish nation. Or it Maybe to a Degree to mend fences to get on the good side with Poland to convince Polish government and Sejm not to allow NATO to install the advanced Radar and Missile Systemon Polish soil. Isn't it revvieling. Mind you the crime in Katyb in 1941 was carried our by NKVD on direct orders from Satlin. Present Russia could have used the argument that the crime was committed by the Communist Soviet Regime run by a Georgina pathological paranoic leqder Jossip Wissarionowicz Dzugashvwili and not a Rusina person. The argument by Turkish governments that the 1915 mass murder of Armeninas was carried out by "Ottomans" and not Turkish people does not have a leg to stand on.Knesset Go Ahead and correct past mistake., Recognize the 1915 mass murder of Armenians on Turkish soil as holocaust. Do what is right. PS: Current Turkish government of Erdogan is in bed with Iranian Islamofascist regime and with Syrian Alawi dictatorship whose [figure head Bashar Assad does not hesitate to order his army to kil his own people because they are from another sect Sunni moslems and not Shiite Alawi Moslems and because they are fighting for free Syrian society.
Why focus on the Turkish genocide of 1915 when we have largely ignored the Arab genocide of millions of blacks in the Sudan. This genocide the PLO, Arab legion supported and backed.
First off: Turks aren't ONE entity as you seem to think. Second; Ottoman Empire is not Turkey. Turkey was created upon a man who threw out the invaders, the same man threw out the Pope of Islam and hanged the remaining government of the Ottoman Empire. Third; Flotillas are not illegal, but you as an israeli seems to prefer creating own internationally laws and expect other countries to follow them. Fourth; The Ottomans couldn't defend "Filistin" and lost, you expect them to build it up for you and then leave? And the last; Compare how many wars and attacks Israel have been involved in compared to Turkey and then start talk about provocation.
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