Arminfo
2007-02-23 19:50:00

Jewish organizations are reluctant to respond to Turkish calls to
fight a congressional resolution recognizing the Armenian genocide

Despite fears of upsetting a top Israeli and American ally in the
Muslim world, Jewish organizations are reluctant to respond to Turkish
calls to fight a congressional resolution recognizing the Armenian
genocide, reports Assyrian International News Agency.

In the past, Jewish groups have aided Turkey’s efforts to prevent the
United Stated from applying the term "genocide" to the killing of 1.5
million Armenians by the Turks during World War I. But this time
around, the Forward has learned, Jewish organizations are declining to
commit to the issue, fearing an uphill battle with House Speaker Nancy
Pelosi, who has vowed to push the resolution through.

In a meeting two weeks ago in Washington, Turkish Foreign Minister
Abdullah Gul raised the issue with representatives of several leading
Jewish organizations. In the meeting, attended by representatives of
eight major groups, Gul stressed the importance that Turkey sees in
preventing the passage of the resolution. He asked the Jewish groups
to use their lobbying operations on Capitol Hill to aid Ankara’s
cause.