JEWISH COMMITTEE OF AMERICA FOLLOWING THE EXAMPLE OF AGAINST DEFAMATION LEAGUE
By H. Chaqrian
AZG Armenian Daily #152
24/08/2007
Genocide Recognition
Lately Abraham Foxman, director of one of the most influential Jewish
organizations of the USA, Against Defamation League (ADL), dismissed
Andrew Tarsey, head of an ADL regional structure, for his statements
about intolerability of denying the Armenian Genocide. Then, on August
21, Foxman published an official statement that ADL had revised its
position about the tragedy of the Armenian people and made a decision
to mark the events whish took place during the World War I as Genocide.
"Azg" illustrated all those events in August 21 and 23 publications. On
August 23 Turkish "Sabah" newspaper also commented them reminding
that for long years the ADL has been the advocate of the official
Turkish approach to the matter of the Armenian Genocide.
On the very same day, another organization, American Jewish Committee,
responded the ADL statement. In return, Turkey nullified the agreement
signed with that lobbying organization Washington, and Ankara started
taking active counter-measures, which resulted in difficulties in
relations between Turkey and Israel.
Councilor of the Israeli Embassy to Turkey declared that the official
position of Tel-Aviv on the issue of the Armenian Genocide remains
unchanged. The official expressed discontent with the actions of the
aforementioned Jewish organizations and added that recognition of
the Armenian Genocide is inappropriate.
Nevertheless, the Foreign Ministry of Turkey warns the Ambassador of
Israel that the actions of the American-Jewish structures will affect
negatively both USA-Turkey and Israel-Turkey relations.
The Turkish Foreign Ministry demanded the Ambassador to tell Prime
Minister Ehud Olmert’s government to take measures and urge ADL to
revise the decision of recognizing the Genocide. In the meanwhile,
the leadership of the Jewish community of Turkey expressed regret
about the decision of ADL and add that the Jewish communities have
always supported the interests of the Republic of Turkey.
According to CNN-Turk, in connection with those circumstances Prime
Minister of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan is to have a telephone
conversation with President of Israel Simon Perez, and Israeli
Ambassador is to meet with the Turkish Foreign Minister.