Jewish Telegraphic Agency, NY
Jan 30 2007
Armenian Jews applaud genocide bill
The Jewish community of Armenia applauded the Armenian genocide
resolution introduced by U.S. lawmakers.
U.S. Reps. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-N.J.),
George Radanovich (R-Calif.) and Joe Knollenberg (R-Mich.) announced
Tuesday the introduction of legislation calling on President Bush and
his administration to recognize the Armenian genocide.
Leaders of Armenia’s small Jewish community praised the resolution
and expressed solidarity with the approximately 1.5 million ethnic
Armenians killed between 1915-17, `because the histories of our
people are similar and we too have gone through discrimination,
tragedy and a genocide.’
The bill was brought to the House in 2006, but was tabled by
then-Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.) The statement of support from
Armenia’s Jewish community comes at a time of increased tensions
between Turkey and Armenia, after the recent murder of a prominent
Turkish journalist of Armenian descent, Hrant Dink.
Dink had written extensively on the genocide, which the Turkish
government insists was the result of inter-ethnic strife and famine.
The refusal to acknowledge the genocide has become a major sticking
point in Turkey’s proposed ascension to the E.U.