PanARMENIAN.Net

Israel worried by U.S. debate but tries to deflect pressure from
Turkey to take its side
12.10.2007 19:03 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ `Israel’s government expressed concern Thursday over
the U.S. congressional debate on the mass killings of ethnic Armenians
in Turkey 90 years ago, but tried to deflect pressure from Turkey to
take its side in the dispute,’ said Marc Regev, a Spokesman for
Israeli Foreign Ministry.

"We take the Turkish concerns very seriously. We have an excellent
relationship with Turkey," Regev said.

He declined to discuss Israel’s response or say whether Israel would
ask its allies in Washington to intervene. In recent months a leading
Jewish group, the Anti-Defamation League, changed its policy and
declared the Armenian killings "tantamount to genocide," angering
Turks.

Israel’s government has said previously that massacres were
perpetrated against Armenians and expressed sympathy for their
suffering. But it stopped short of calling it genocide. Regev said
Thursday that "there is no change" in Israel’s policy, the AP reports.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress