HISTORICAL DECISION OR HISTORICAL MISTAKE OF THE KNESSET?

PanARMENIAN.Net
27.03.2008 GMT+04:00

In their fight against the recognition of the Armenian Genocide the
Israeli researchers have taken a rather improper role: they consider
the Holocaust a unique phenomenon, incomparable with any genocide in
the entire history of humanity.

In the evening on March 26 something that the Armenians wouldn’t even
dream about happened; those who are for the recognition of the Armenian
Genocide managed to have the first success in the Knesset. As the
newspaper "Haaretz" writes, instead of the minister of foreign affairs
Tsipi Livni ("Kadima"), the government’s viewpoint was introduced by
the minister of agriculture Shalom Simkhon ("Avod"). He delivered his
objections regarding the reconsideration of the given issue at the
plenary session, however he unexpectedly agreed with the initiative of
the deputy Zeyev Elkin ("Kadima"), the chairman of the Parliamentary
Association of the Israeli-Armenian friendship, who suggested bringing
out the issue of the recognition of the Armenian Genocide.

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ As a result, the deputies unanimously voted for the
discussion of this topic at the session of the Parliamentary Commission
on Education. True, the deputy Iossif Shagal ("Our Home Israel"),
the chairman of the Parliamentary Association of Israeli-Azerbaijani
friendship expressed his fears that the discussion of the given
issue "will negatively effect on Israeli relations with Turkey,
as well as with Azerbaijan, where our compatriots live." However,
Zeyev Elkin insisted on his viewpoint, saying: "Today’s decision
may be considered historical, after all for the first time Knesset
included the issue of the recognition of the Armenian Genocide in its
agenda. The French Parliament and the American Congress, as well as the
Legislative Assembly of many other countries recognized the Genocide
of the Armenian people, and it is time for the Israeli Knesset to at
least start the discussions of this issue."

In this regard, it is timely to remind, that the history of the
recognition of the Armenian Genocide by Israel started already in
the days of the first Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion. Being in
isolation in the Near East beginning of the 50’s after the first
Arab-Israeli war, Israel was extremely interested in finding allies
in this region. However, Israel didn’t have much choice; among
all the Islamic countries, Turkey was the only one who recognized
Israel’s independence in 1949. Another important factor between
these two countries is the military-technical cooperation and water
problem. Israel suffers lack of water, and if Turkey forbids the
access to the river Ephrat, Israel will simply dry up.

In their fight against the recognition of the Armenian Genocide the
Israeli researchers have taken a rather improper role: they consider
the Holocaust a unique phenomenon, incomparable with any genocide in
the entire history of humanity. Tel-Aviv shares the same viewpoint. And
it was best expressed by Shimon Peres, in April, 2001 before his visit
to Turkey; then he was the minister of foreign affairs. He announced
that "it makes no sense to assure that the Armenians, like the Jews,
suffered Genocide. Regarding the Genocide issue, the Armenians and the
Jews are incomparable." In fact the same was declared by Rivka Koen,
who that time was the Ambassador of Armenia and Georgia to Israel:
"the Holocaust a unique phenomenon, incomparable with any genocide in
the entire history of humanity." Then these words became the reason
of almost a diplomatic scandal between Armenia and Israel.

How the events will develop in future, is not hard to predict: Turkey
has rolled mechanisms for this.

Sometimes these mechanisms work, for instant with the USA; sometimes
– they don’t, like it happened with the case of Europe. But the fact
that Israel will have to be under strong pressure from Ankara.

Meanwhile, according to the acting director of the Institute Holocaust
and Genocide, the editor-in-chief of the Genocide Encyclopedia,
professor of psychology Charni, the nation and society of Israel
recognize the Armenian Genocide. "In our nation there are three
people who openly speak about the Armenian Genocide in the Ottoman
Turkey. They are professor Yair Auron, Iossi Sarid and I. All the
others keep silent out of political reasons. Israel is in an Islamic
environment and the most important thing is that it depends on Turkey
in water issue. For this reason the government doesn’t speak out about
the event of 1915. True, the general rabbi of Israel Iona Metsger,
who has visited the Genocide Memorial in Tsitsernakaberd and who
has practically recognized the Armenian Genocide, was in Yerevan in
2006. I think this is a wonderful example.

The senior rabbi of Israel has a very important role, but on the
other hand doesn’t represent the government,’ emphasized professor
Charni. The Israeli researcher emphasized that it doesn’t matter
when and against whom the crime was committed. "Genocide is genocide,
be it the Holocaust, mass killings of the gypsies by Germany, Darfur
or Rwanda. I always ask myself the question: why do people recognize
the Holocaust but not the Armenian Genocide?" he said.

The day before the JCRC spoke for the official recognition of the
Armenian Genocide in 1915. JCRC confirms the political announcement of
1989, with which the Council expressed its support for the resolution
on the Armenian Genocide in the US Senate.

According to the Senate Resolution 212, April 24 is announced the
national day to honor the memory of the victims of the Armenian
Genocide.