AUTHORITIES OF ISRAEL, IN SPITE OF DEMAND FROM TURKISH SIDE, DO NOT PROMISE THAT ARMENIAN GENOCIDE ISSUE WILL BE REMOVED FROM KNESSET AGENDA

Noyan Tapan
April 14, 2008

TEL AVIV, APRIL 14, ARMENIANS TODAY – NOYAN TAPAN. The representatives
of the authorities of Isreal, in spite of the demand of the Turlish
delegation on removing the issue on the Armenian Genocide from the
agenda of Knesset (the parliament of Isreal), have declared that the
initiative of the parliamentarians has nothing to do with them. This
information was reported by Jihan agency quoting the Haaretz newspaper
published in Israel.

The newspaper, touching upon the meetings of the Turkish parliamentary
delegation being in Israel on an official visit this week, writes that
the members of the delegation mainly discussed the opportunities for
removing the discussion of the issue of the Armenian Genocide from the
agenda of Knesset during the meeting with Yoram Turbovich and Shalom
Turgeman, the assistants of Ehud Olmert, the Prime Minister of Israel.

Hasan Murad Merjan, the Head of the Turkish delegation and the
Chairman of the Committee of Foreign Relations of the Grand National
Assembly of Turkey, declared that the discussion of the issue of the
Armenian Genocide will greatly damage the Turkish-Israeli relations
and persuaded the Israeli side to remove that issue from the agenda
of Knesset.

In response to the persuasions of the Turkish parliamentarian,
Turbovich mentioned that it is necessary that the given issue is
settled between Turkey and Armenia, at the same time not giving a
positive answer to the demand of the Turkish delegation on removing
the discussion of the issue of the Armenian Genocide from the agenda
of Knesset.

"Israel fully realizes the strategic significance of the existing
relations with Turkey. However, certain initiatives of the parliament
have nothing to do with the government," the assistant of the Prime
Minister of Israel stressed.

The Haaretz newspaper also writes that the discussion of the issue
of the Armenian Genocide in Knesset may take place on April 24.

Knesset made a decision on discussing the issue of the Armenian
Genocide on March 26. Hajim Oron, the Leader of the Meretz soacialist
party, came up with the initiative for discussing the issue.

It should also be mentioned that Hasan Murad Merjan, the Head of
the Turkish delegation, which is in Israel on a visit, announced a
few days ago that "all those Israeli officials, we have met with,
including Shimon Peres, the Chairman of Israel, have assured us that
the initiative of the discussion of the issue of the Armenian Genocide
in Knesset will remain without result."

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress