TEL AVIV—A motion by the Meretz party to direct the Israeli Knesset’s education committee to discuss a resolution recognizing the Armenian Genocide was unanimously approved on Wednesday, reported the Armenian National Committee of Jerusalem.
The motion presented by Meretz delegate Zahava Gal-On also received the support of government representatives who voted for the proposal.
In the past the Knesset said that a resolution recognizing the Armenian Genocide should be debated by the parliament’s defense and foreign relations committee. That committee holds its meetings behind closed doors and concerns have been voiced that under such circumstances, the committee could propose to not consider the motion.
During the more than 30 minute debate on the Knesset floor, various party members expressed their views on the resolution. On behalf of Israel’s foreign ministry, Religion Minister, Yakkov Marki expressed ministry’s position, which was to leave the issue on the defense and foreign affairs commission, adding that Israel must support the Armenia-Turkey dialogue process.
However, Marki expressed his personal conviction affirming the Genocide and added that time has come for Israel to make a clear decision on the matter. He then proposed that the Knesset’s education committee address the matter.
Also speaking at the debate was the ruling Likud party representative, Ze’ev Elkin who supported the motion to task the education committee with the issue. Elkin’s role in the fruition of this motion was considerable.
All Knesset members who spoke, including Speaker Roven Rivlin, supported the motion and stressed that Israel’s relations with Turkey should interfere with Israel recognizing a historic fact.
ANC Jerusalem members Hagop Sevan and Georgette Avakian were joined by Armenia’s Honorary Consul Tsolag Momdjian, representatives of the Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem and community members at the Knesset hearing.
Last month, an ARF delegation headed by Bureau member Hagop Der-Kachadourian met with party representatives to discuss, among other issues, the Knesset’s recognition of the Armenian Genocide.
The delegation met with Ghaleb Majadleh of the Labor party and discussed the parliamentary debate for the recognition of the Armenian Genocide by the Knesset, the role and intentions of Turkey in the region, and Israeli-Armenian relations. Majadleh, the first Arab minister in an Israeli government, emphasized his sympathy with the Armenian Cause and agreed that meetings between the representatives of both parties are important and should be frequent.
The delegation also met with the chairman of the Meretz party, Chaim Auron, who demonstrated a profound knowledge of the Armenian Cause, and appreciation for the contribution of Armenians to Jerusalem, Israel, Palestine and the Middle East.
A meeting tool place with Elkin, following a conference on the Armenian Genocide at Hebrew University organized by the Honorary Consul of Armenia.
Elkin, who was a speaker at the conference, publicly declared that the Israeli Foreign Ministry should change course and support the resolution. The main topic of discussion between the delegation and Elkin was the process for the Armenian Genocide resolution in the Knesset and its committees.
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To Israel: do the right thing, Honor the Armenian Genocide.
Rabbi Hillel said it best, “If I am not for myself, then who will be for me? And if I am only for myself, then what am I? And if not now, when?”
Inscriptions from the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington DC:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Hitler_Armenian_Quote.JPG
looks like by the time the israelis recognise the genocide the turks will recognise it before them.
i AGREE with that!!
shame on israel and those organizations who manipulate and lie. when they lie about the armenian holocaust theyre denying their own history.
the current turkish government is the same as if the third reich had lost the war but was never removed.
we can see in the polls in turkey that turkish citizens are more racisit than germans were during ww2
Very well said. This is happening every year, we all know Isrealis need Turkey badly so why are we still fool ourselves to believe the Isreal will recognize before Turkey, of course it is not going to happen we all know that.
even after this floatilla fiasco, ISRAEL APOLOGIZED TO TURKEY!!
i dont care, the whole world can be against us, i do belive thats when armenians shine the most, when all odds are stacked against them
I think,this time,Israel has decided to send Turkey a very strong and serious message.
I don’t believe Israel will recognize the Armenian Genocide now.
But my feeling is,that this is the last message to Turkey.
FACT: If any country’s parliamentary committee were to debate Holocaust recognition, that country would be labelled a part of the axis of evil and fairly tarnished as the xenophobe capital of the world.
This is why members of the Knesset remain hypocrites of the most cynical kind as they continuously choose to obstruct recognition of the Armenian Genocide over several decades. Of all people, shame on them.
This is pure BS. The Knesset will NEVER recognize the Armenian Genocide. This is just Israel putting the screws to Erdogan.
Israelis seem to bounce Turkish Genocide of the Christian Armenians from one committee to another to another… which is as doing a lot of nothing for the issue of the inhumanity of the crime of Genocide… seems no other Genocide is worthy of recognition…
Jews are fake. they will never recongnize genocide. all they care is thier asses.
its people like YOU that make it hard for someone to critisize israel without being called “anti-semetic”. i have problems with most of israels acts, but i think they have a fine culture. just like armenians they excel through hard work wherever they go.
Eventually, turks will have no other choice but to recognize the Armenian Genocide.
Suppose the Armenian Parliament debated whether to recognize the Holocaust.
israel can not recognize that lie. it is just a bluff.
So the genocide against ALL (Armenians, Greeks & Assyrians) of Turkey’s Christians are a lie?
The only one who lies is Turkey!
No, they can’t recognize the truth of the Armenian Genocide because of whiny, mopey Turkey. “OMG Israel wants to recognize the so-called Armenian Genocide, let’s cut them off completely because they’re bruising our over-sized egos! Derp, derp, derp.”
Recognising the Armenian genocide is an honourable act. However, I truly hope that Israel doesn’t recognise the Armenian genocide. Israel is a country that is acting in breach of international law constantly: it is illegally occupying Palestinian land, it is annexing Palestinian land, it is robbing the Palestinians of their freedom of movement and it is starving Gaza (alongside with Egypt). Recognition from such a country will bring more harm to the cause than good.
Mmmm…. sounds like Israel is committing a Genocide against the
Palestinians…. or a Holocaust??
A shame on the Israeli Government for not recognizing the well recorded Armenian Genocide of 1015-1923 by the then Turkish Government. Turkey’s war criminals after the 1st WW were all found guilty and the Turkish archives can be researched for the truth. Also Ambassador Morgenthau’s during the war recorded the Turkish Governments process to eliminate the Christian Armenians from Asia Minor, since they lost their possessions in Europe, Africa, & the Middle East, they did not want to lose Asia Minor. Talaat Pasha whom was a converted Jew wanted the Armenians eliminated. This will be the last chance for Israel to make good and not have the Armenian People call Jews Anti-Christian and Anti-Armenian.
Just remember what Adolf Hitler said before the Shoah: “Who remembers now the Armenians?”, which otherwise if the international community had punished Turkey, condemned the first Genocide, the Holocaust
wouldn’t have taken place. “Don’t let Turkey unpunished , otherwise you’ll encourage newer Crimes and Tragedies against Mankind and the Human Race” Just do the right thing !!! Put politics and kissassing Turkey
aside. Let Jehovah inspire you with eternal wisdom and blessing!!! (7)
At this point let them not recognize anything…….they have become irrelevant.
This is good news even if they just talk.Lots better than just denying it like they have been doing.
Armenians should think about Obama’s sayiing Israel should go back to 1967 borders, NEXT will he tell Armenia to give Karabagh back? Armenian didnt start the war and had to go through hell to finish it.
Israel didnt start the 67 war and went through hell to finish it.
They are just doing this for concessions from Turkey. Turkey has been giving them a hard time lately.
They don’t care about injustice, just themselves!
Don’t bet on it. I don’t believe the Jewish State will ever recognize the fact that the Turks intended to annihilate the entire Armenian Nation (committed a genocide) despite the fact that many Jewish scholars and intellectuals do so without any doubt. This includes Franz Werfel who wrote the Forty days of Musa Dagh and Raphael Lemkin who coined the word Genocide based on his studies of what Turks did to the Armenians during WWI and the Germans did to the Jews during WWII.
The Knesset can mind its own business and discuss other issues. The sacred Genocide of my people are not up for political debate. Its funny how when they stop being bed buddies with the Turks, all of a sudden they are interested in using The Armenian Genocide for political gains. Both the turks and the israeli government can go jump off of a cliff for all I care. Kniving people.
Anybody else think this could just be a response to Turkey organizing a second Floatillia?
BINGO! You hit the nail on the head! Let’s see what happens on or around may 28th. Should be interesting.
I say Israel,Thank you, but NO THANK YOU
Too late, armenians don’t need your sympathy,your discussion, your vote,your input.Shove it and get out our life.You are more harmful than helpful to armanians. When we needed you, you were with Turkey and acted as spoiler too many times.FORGUT ABOUT IT
Garo, you speak the truth… Israelis just bounce around the issues of Genocide when it applies to the Armenians, to others, … only Jewish Genocide ever happened… no others.
Israel is a rogue state! They’ve been playing this cat and mouse game ad nauseum! Shame on Israel!
Israelis are commiting Genocide against the Palestinians… today.
All Israelis know about the Armenian Genocide. We are silenced by the politicians as much as the rest of the world. Let us all be the light onto the nations and teach about truth and justice. Maybe sooner or later the light will shine in some of the muslim nations.