THE KNESSET GOES ON HOLIDAY, BUT ANKARA HAS ALREADY STARTED PUTTING PRESSURE ON ISRAEL IN THE ISSUE OF THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

PanARMENIAN.Net
12.04.2008 GMT+04:00

Ankara is against the discussion of the question of the Armenian
Genocide in the parliament of Israel, strongly believing that it will
damage the strategic relationship between Turkey and Israel.

The Israeli Knesset will be on holiday till May 18, and now Turkey
is doing its best "to persuade" the deputies to forget about the
discussion of the Armenian Genocide. Turkey has already started
implementing the well-known method; blackmail, which works so well
in the USA and so badly in Europe. It is quite obvious that it will
be much easier with Israel, than with any other country, especially
with Europe.

However, it should be mentioned that Turkey, which have chosen the
Islamic Justice and Development as the leading party of the country,
will most probably want to join the Islamic world, whose main aim is
to raze Israel to the ground.

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ At present, the reconsideration of the main
directions of the Turkish foreign policy is in process. The recent
conclusion of agreement on cooperation in the energy sphere with Iran
and the reestablishment of the cooperation with the Arab countries
speak of the fact that Ankara is getting closer to the Islamic world,
and in the Islamic world the friendship with Israel and the USA is
considered betrayal of Islam. However, Turkey still needs both the
USA and Israel.

The official Ankara is against the discussion of the question of the
Armenian Genocide in the parliament of Israel, strongly believing
that it will damage the strategic relationship between Turkey and
Israel. The Chairman of the Commission for International Relations
of the Parliament of Turkey Murat Mercen declared, "This is a very
delicate question for the Turkish society, and we wouldn’t want it
to be discussed in the Israeli Parliament. We have only asked our
Israeli friends to make it clear for several Israeli politicians,
that there is no need to "write" a history resting on some momentary
political passions, which will do a serious harm to the strategic
partnership between Israel and Turkey.

Having been in Israel, the delegation of the Turkish parliament thinks
that "the advertising of the Armenian problem is a very delicate
issue for Turkey."

The representatives of the delegation have declared this to the
advisors of the Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Shalom
Turgeman. "We prefer that this issue isn’t discussed in the Israeli
Parliament, since it will damage the Turkish-Israeli relations,"
said the Turkish deputies. It was mentioned, that this problem
must be resolved between Turkey and Armenia with the participation
of historians. "Israel recognizes the strategic importance of its
relations with Turkey, but there are questions and parliamentary
initiatives, which have nothing to do with the government," said the
Prime, adding that the government of Israel is not interested in the
worsening of the relations with Turkey. "I am convinced, that Israel
realizes the negative disposition between the two countries, which
may be caused by the issue of the Armenian Genocide," said Mercan.

According to the deputy of the Knesset from party "Kadima", the
chairman of the inter-parliamentary union "Israel – Armenia" Zeev
Elkin, it is not possible to predict the result of the discussion
of the Armenian Genocide in the Israeli the Knesset. "The fact
that the issue is already involved in the agenda is already a big
achievement. During the past 20 years the issue of the Armenian
Genocide has not at all been discussed in Israel. The deputies already
feel great pressure from the part of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
and the Turkish lobby, which now has the support of Azerbaijan as
well. It must be mentioned that their reaction was rather quick and
effective, which unfortunately can’t be said about Armenia and the
Armenian Diaspora. The discussion, of course, will not become a bill,
but I think that we, in case of a positive decision, may adopt a
declaration on the issue of the Armenian Genocide," said Elkin. He
reminded that the given initiative is suggested every year around
April 24, before the spring holidays of the parliament. "But this time
the opposition’s demand was supported not only by the opposition,
but also by party, included in the coalition. As for me – I was
led by pure moral understanding, since I know history very well,"
emphasized the deputy of The Knesset.

In his turn, the Director of the Institute of the Oriental Studies of
the National Academy of Science Professor Ruben Safrastyan thinks,
that the discussion of the Armenian Genocide in the Israeli the
Knesset is an instrument of pressure on Ankara. "The Resolution on the
Armenian Genocide will hardly be passed, and this issue is once again
becoming a stumbling block among the three countries. In particular,
one of the reasons of the discussion of the issue of the Armenian
Genocide was Israel’s and the US Jewish Community’s resentment with
Turkey’s attitude towards the Arab countries and the Israel-Palestinian
conflict," said Ruben Safrastyan.