Rivlin: Remembering Armenian genocide not attack on Turkey
By GIL
HOFFMAN, JPOST.COM
STAFF
06/12/2012 18:35
Knesset discusses murder of more than a million Armenians at the hands of the Turks over a hundred years ago; Meretz leader Gal-On accuses gov't of using tragedy to attack Turkey, calls for 'Marmara' apology.
Knesset Speaker Reuven Rivlin said Tuesday that Israel has an obligation to
remember the murder of more than a million Armenians at the hands of the Turks
more than a hundred years ago, but warned that the issue should not be turned
into an attack on the Turkish government of today. The Knesset speaker made the
comments at a Knesset discussion of the Armenian genocide.
Speaking a day before State Comptroller Micha Lindenstrauss was scheduled to release a report on Israel’s interception of Turkish ships bound for the Gaza Strip which led to a diplomatic crisis between the countries, Rivlin insisted that the discussion of the Armenian genocide was not politically motivated.
"We have an ethical obligation to remember that a million Armenians were killed. It is forbidden to make the issue political. Our charges are not pointed at the Turkish regime today. We must make our voices heard when other nations are targeted for destruction," Rivlin stated.
"Those who drafted the Final Solution for the Jews figured the world would be silent as they were when the Armenians were murdered. The Knesset cannot ignore this episode that is factual. We cannot forgive nations who ignore our disaster and we cannot ignore the disasters of others," the Knesset speaker added.
Meretz chairwoman Zehava Gal-On, who initiated the Knesset discussion, accused the government of Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu of using the Armenian tragedy to attack Turkey.
Gal-On stated the government should "finally recognize" the episode as a genocide and restore relations with Turkey by agreeing to apologize for the deaths of nine Turkish pro-Palestinian activists at the hands of IDF commandos during the May 2010 raid of the Mavi Marmara vessel, which was part of a flotilla attempting to break the blockade of the Gaza Strip.
"The Armenian genocide is not an opportunity for public diplomacy," Gal-On told the Knesset plenum, adding that "Israel is strong enough to apologize for the killing of Turkish citizens without it harming Israel's honor or its security. We don't need to choose between recognizing genocide and relations with Turkey. We can have both."
The Meretz leader stated that "the Jewish people who have experienced the worst Holocaust have an obligation to show sensitivity to the disasters of others."
National Union MK Arieh Eldad called on Turkey to recognize its responsibility for its "historical crime," which he said included children being "put into cellars and gassed." Eldad quoted Adolf Hitler as having said "who remembers what happened to the Armenians," when he was asked what the world would say about his Final Solution against the Jews.
Kadima MK Robert Tibayev was the only lawmaker to speak against Israel recognizing the Armenian genocide, saying that Israel should not interfere in the issue, but rather let historians, or an international body decide if there was a genocide.
Balad MK Saed Nafaa, a Christian, took the opportunity to accuse current Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan of being hypocritical by complaining about the atrocities being committed by Syrian President Bashar Assad against his people while he himself has killed dozens of Kurds.
http://www.jpost.com/DiplomacyAndPolitics/Article.aspx?id=273608
###
Moran Azulay
The Knesset held a special session Tuesday on the mass killing of
Armenians by Ottoman Turks during World War I. "We must not
politicize this matter," said Knesset Speaker Rivlin, adding that in
spite of the sensitivity of the issue, there is no intention to blame Turkey or
the current Turkish government.
MK Zahava Gal-On, chairwoman of the Meretz faction, who initiated the discussion, said that in recent years "the Armenian genocide has been swept under the rug" due to foreign relations concerns.
"Remembering and recognizing this genocide is our moral
obligation. However, the timing of the discussion is problematic, when it is
used for political bashing."
Recognition of the Armenian genocide by Israel would enrage Turkey and further strain the already tense ties between the two countries.
For years, Israel has refrained from commenting on the matter for fear of angering Turkey, which until recently was its closest ally in the Muslim world. But as ties have frayed under the Islamic-oriented rule of Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Israel appears to be changing course.
Finally, the Ottoman Turks chased the remaining Armenians from their villages to Syria in a death march. Women, children and elderly people marched for weeks without food or water, hunted down by soldiers and criminals. During the marches thousands were perished, murdered, raped and even burnt alive. In villages near the Black Sea, the Turks put the Armenians on boats and drowned them.
Reports on the atrocities reached Europe and the US as early as 1915, which immediately condemned the acts and blamed the Ottoman regime for "crimes against humanity."
The Ottoman massacre of the Armenians was the
first genocide of the 20th century, and remains the center of
political debate. The Turks continue to deny the genocide, claiming
that the Armenians were only transferred, and that deaths
only occurred during the fighting between the Armenians and the
Kurds.
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4241591,00.html
###
As it was informed yesterday Israeli Knesset is going to have a debate on the
recognition of Armenian Genocide.
As timesofisrael.com web-site writes as Israeli relations with Turkey continue to deteriorate, on Tuesday the Knesset marked the Armenian genocide with a special session to debate recognition of the genocide.
“The Israeli parliament has in the past refrained from public debates on the subject for fear of alienating the Turkish government, one of the Jewish state’s few allies in a hostile Middle East.
However, the timing of the discussion about the Armenian genocide, perpetrated by the Ottomans about a century ago, coincides with the release of the state comptroller’s report about the 2010 raid on the Mavi Marmara, a Turkish ship attempting to break the blockade of the Gaza Strip, in which the IDF killed nine Turkish nationals, as well as the Turkish decision to indict senior IDF officials in absentia over the incident.
Knesset Speaker Reuven Rivlin said that the discussion of the genocide, promoted by MK Zahava Gal-On (Meretz), was not connected to the current strained relations between Israel and Turkey”, the source writes.
Rivlin also told Globes: “As Jews, and as human beings, we cannot ignore this issue and we must not turn away from our commitment to morality… As [a country] struggling in the international arena with Holocaust denial, we cannot deny the tragedy of another people.”
In December 2011, the Knesset Education Committee discussed the Armenian genocide for the first time. Gal-On, who also initiated that discussion, said then: “For years, Israel always took into account its relations with Turkey. That is the central issue in terms of recognition of the murder of the Armenian people, which has yet to take place in Israel’s Knesset,” Haaretz.com wrote.
Photo from timesofisrael.com
http://times.am/?l=0&p=8401
###
Speaking a day before State Comptroller Micha Lindenstrauss was scheduled to release a report on Israel’s interception of Turkish ships bound for the Gaza Strip which led to a diplomatic crisis between the countries, Rivlin insisted that the discussion of the Armenian genocide was not politically motivated.
"We have an ethical obligation to remember that a million Armenians were killed. It is forbidden to make the issue political. Our charges are not pointed at the Turkish regime today. We must make our voices heard when other nations are targeted for destruction," Rivlin stated.
"Those who drafted the Final Solution for the Jews figured the world would be silent as they were when the Armenians were murdered. The Knesset cannot ignore this episode that is factual. We cannot forgive nations who ignore our disaster and we cannot ignore the disasters of others," the Knesset speaker added.
Meretz chairwoman Zehava Gal-On, who initiated the Knesset discussion, accused the government of Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu of using the Armenian tragedy to attack Turkey.
Gal-On stated the government should "finally recognize" the episode as a genocide and restore relations with Turkey by agreeing to apologize for the deaths of nine Turkish pro-Palestinian activists at the hands of IDF commandos during the May 2010 raid of the Mavi Marmara vessel, which was part of a flotilla attempting to break the blockade of the Gaza Strip.
"The Armenian genocide is not an opportunity for public diplomacy," Gal-On told the Knesset plenum, adding that "Israel is strong enough to apologize for the killing of Turkish citizens without it harming Israel's honor or its security. We don't need to choose between recognizing genocide and relations with Turkey. We can have both."
The Meretz leader stated that "the Jewish people who have experienced the worst Holocaust have an obligation to show sensitivity to the disasters of others."
National Union MK Arieh Eldad called on Turkey to recognize its responsibility for its "historical crime," which he said included children being "put into cellars and gassed." Eldad quoted Adolf Hitler as having said "who remembers what happened to the Armenians," when he was asked what the world would say about his Final Solution against the Jews.
Kadima MK Robert Tibayev was the only lawmaker to speak against Israel recognizing the Armenian genocide, saying that Israel should not interfere in the issue, but rather let historians, or an international body decide if there was a genocide.
Balad MK Saed Nafaa, a Christian, took the opportunity to accuse current Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan of being hypocritical by complaining about the atrocities being committed by Syrian President Bashar Assad against his people while he himself has killed dozens of Kurds.
http://www.jpost.com/DiplomacyAndPolitics/Article.aspx?id=273608
###
MKs: 'We must recognize Armenian tragedy'
Knesset debates whether to recognize mass killing of Armenians by Ottoman Turks during World War I as genocideMoran Azulay
|
MK Zahava Gal-On, chairwoman of the Meretz faction, who initiated the discussion, said that in recent years "the Armenian genocide has been swept under the rug" due to foreign relations concerns.
Recognition of the Armenian genocide by Israel would enrage Turkey and further strain the already tense ties between the two countries.
For years, Israel has refrained from commenting on the matter for fear of angering Turkey, which until recently was its closest ally in the Muslim world. But as ties have frayed under the Islamic-oriented rule of Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Israel appears to be changing course.
Armenian Death March
The Armenian genocide remembrance day is marked every year on April 24. The mass murders by the Ottoman Turks were carefully planned and executed during and after World War I. Hundreds of thousands were sent to labor camps.Finally, the Ottoman Turks chased the remaining Armenians from their villages to Syria in a death march. Women, children and elderly people marched for weeks without food or water, hunted down by soldiers and criminals. During the marches thousands were perished, murdered, raped and even burnt alive. In villages near the Black Sea, the Turks put the Armenians on boats and drowned them.
Reports on the atrocities reached Europe and the US as early as 1915, which immediately condemned the acts and blamed the Ottoman regime for "crimes against humanity."
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4241591,00.html
###
Reuven Rivlin: “As a country struggling in the international arena with Holocaust denial, we cannot deny the tragedy of another people”
As it was informed yesterday Israeli Knesset is going to have a debate on the
recognition of Armenian Genocide.As timesofisrael.com web-site writes as Israeli relations with Turkey continue to deteriorate, on Tuesday the Knesset marked the Armenian genocide with a special session to debate recognition of the genocide.
“The Israeli parliament has in the past refrained from public debates on the subject for fear of alienating the Turkish government, one of the Jewish state’s few allies in a hostile Middle East.
However, the timing of the discussion about the Armenian genocide, perpetrated by the Ottomans about a century ago, coincides with the release of the state comptroller’s report about the 2010 raid on the Mavi Marmara, a Turkish ship attempting to break the blockade of the Gaza Strip, in which the IDF killed nine Turkish nationals, as well as the Turkish decision to indict senior IDF officials in absentia over the incident.
Knesset Speaker Reuven Rivlin said that the discussion of the genocide, promoted by MK Zahava Gal-On (Meretz), was not connected to the current strained relations between Israel and Turkey”, the source writes.
Rivlin also told Globes: “As Jews, and as human beings, we cannot ignore this issue and we must not turn away from our commitment to morality… As [a country] struggling in the international arena with Holocaust denial, we cannot deny the tragedy of another people.”
In December 2011, the Knesset Education Committee discussed the Armenian genocide for the first time. Gal-On, who also initiated that discussion, said then: “For years, Israel always took into account its relations with Turkey. That is the central issue in terms of recognition of the murder of the Armenian people, which has yet to take place in Israel’s Knesset,” Haaretz.com wrote.
Photo from timesofisrael.com
http://times.am/?l=0&p=8401
###
With eye on Turkey, Israel debates Armenia deaths
June 12, 2012
JERUSALEM—The Israeli parliament has begun a debate over whether
to recognize the mass killing of Armenians by Ottoman Turks during World War I
as genocide.
Such a move would enrage Turkey and further strain the already tense ties
between the two countries.
For years, Israel has refrained from commenting on the matter for fear of
angering Turkey, which until recently was its closest ally in the Muslim world.
But as ties have frayed under the Islamic-oriented rule of Turkish Prime
Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Israel appears to be changing course.
Parliament speaker Reuven Rivlin denied that Tuesday's debate was related to
deteriorating ties with Turkey. In a radio interview, he said there is no intent
to provoke, only to remember.
It was unclear if there would be a vote Tuesday.
http://www.boston.com/news/world/middleeast/articles/2012/06/12/with_eye_on_turkey_israel_debates_armenia_deaths/
###
By Gianluca Mezzofiore
June 12, 2012 5:08 PM GMT
http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/articles/351327/20120612/israel-knesset-armenian-genocide.htm#ixzz1xb2ameKm
###
As Israeli MP and public figure Ze'ev Elkin told a PanARMENIAN.Net reporter, “nothing new has been said at the discussion.” As the politician said, the issue has already been submitted to Knesset’s Education and Culture Committee for consideration. “The discussion was purely ceremonial. No new Genocide-related issues were raised, the sitting being a plenary one,” he noted.
The public discussion was initiated at the request of MK Zahava Gal-On (Meretz) and supported by Knesset chairperson Reuven Rivlin.
http://www.panarmenian.net/eng/news/111504/
http://www.boston.com/news/world/middleeast/articles/2012/06/12/with_eye_on_turkey_israel_debates_armenia_deaths/
###
Israel's Knesset Discusses Armenian Genocide in Move Set to Anger Turkey
Israeli parliament opens debate over recognition of mass killing by Ottoman Turks during First World War.
June 12, 2012 5:08 PM GMT
The Israeli parliament, the Knesset, has begun a
controversial debate about recognising the massacre of more than one and a half
million Armenians by Ottoman Turks during the First World World War as
genocide.
(Photo: Wikipedia)
Israeli MPs discuss killings of one and a half million Armenians by Turkey during First World War
Israeli MPs discuss killings of one and a half million Armenians by Turkey during First World War
Following Turkey's decision to try senior Israeli officials in court for their part in a Israel
Defence Forces raid on the Gaza-bound ship Mavi Marmara in 2009, Israel's move
is likely to enrage Turkey and cause further tension in diplomatic relations
between the two countries.
For years, the Knesset has avoided the subject in order not to upset Turkey.
Since diplomatic relations between Israel and Turkey have deteriorated under the moderate-Islamist rule of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, determination has grown to discuss the mass killings of Armenians by Turkey during the Ottoman Empire.
Knesset speaker Reuven Rivlin denied that the debate was set to provoke Turkey.
For years, the Knesset has avoided the subject in order not to upset Turkey.
Since diplomatic relations between Israel and Turkey have deteriorated under the moderate-Islamist rule of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, determination has grown to discuss the mass killings of Armenians by Turkey during the Ottoman Empire.
Knesset speaker Reuven Rivlin denied that the debate was set to provoke Turkey.
Fighting Holocaust denial
"As Jews, and as human beings, we cannot ignore this issue and we must not turn away from our commitment to morality," Rivlin said. "As [a country] struggling in the international arena with Holocaust denial, we cannot deny the tragedy of another people."
In December 2011, the Knesset Education Committee discussed the genocide for the first time.
"For years, Israel always took into account its relations with Turkey. That is the central issue in terms of recognition of the murder of the Armenian people, which has yet to take place in Israel's Knesset," said Meretz Party chair Zahava Gal-On, who is initiating the debate
Richard Giragosian, director of the Regional Studies Centre, said Israeli authorities want to use recognition of the genocide as an issue with which to "punish" Turkey. He noted that the move could negatively affect its international recognition campaign and possibly hamper efforts to get Turkey to acknowledge the genocide.
To report problems or to leave feedback about this article, e-mail: g.mezzofiore@ibtimes.co.uk
To contact the editor, e-mail: editor@ibtimes.co.uk
"As Jews, and as human beings, we cannot ignore this issue and we must not turn away from our commitment to morality," Rivlin said. "As [a country] struggling in the international arena with Holocaust denial, we cannot deny the tragedy of another people."
In December 2011, the Knesset Education Committee discussed the genocide for the first time.
"For years, Israel always took into account its relations with Turkey. That is the central issue in terms of recognition of the murder of the Armenian people, which has yet to take place in Israel's Knesset," said Meretz Party chair Zahava Gal-On, who is initiating the debate
Richard Giragosian, director of the Regional Studies Centre, said Israeli authorities want to use recognition of the genocide as an issue with which to "punish" Turkey. He noted that the move could negatively affect its international recognition campaign and possibly hamper efforts to get Turkey to acknowledge the genocide.
To report problems or to leave feedback about this article, e-mail: g.mezzofiore@ibtimes.co.uk
To contact the editor, e-mail: editor@ibtimes.co.uk
###
Israeli MP: no new Genocide-related issues raised at Knesset discussion
June 12, 2012 - 19:09 AMT
PanARMENIAN.Net - A public discussion
about the Genocide of the Armenian people is ongoing at Israeli Knesset.As Israeli MP and public figure Ze'ev Elkin told a PanARMENIAN.Net reporter, “nothing new has been said at the discussion.” As the politician said, the issue has already been submitted to Knesset’s Education and Culture Committee for consideration. “The discussion was purely ceremonial. No new Genocide-related issues were raised, the sitting being a plenary one,” he noted.
The public discussion was initiated at the request of MK Zahava Gal-On (Meretz) and supported by Knesset chairperson Reuven Rivlin.
http://www.panarmenian.net/eng/news/111504/
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