THE CALIFORNIA COURIER: ANGERED BY TURKISH CRITICISM OVER GAZA, ISRAEL MAY RECOGNIZE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

PanARMENIAN.Net
13.01.2009 14:26 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Enraged by the abrasive tone of Turkey’s condemnation
of Israel’s attack on Gaza, Israeli officials and Turkish analysts
are now raising the possibility that Tel Aviv may retaliate either
by recognizing the Armenian Genocide or refusing to help Turkey to
lobby against a congressional resolution on the genocide, according
to the Publisher of The California Courier.

"This unexpected turn of events was in response to Turkish Prime
Minister Recep Erdogan’s continued harsh criticisms, accusing
Israel of "perpetrating inhuman actions which would bring it
to self-destruction. Allah will sooner or later punish those who
transgress the rights of innocents." Erdogan qualified Israel’s attack
on Gaza as "savagery" and a "crime against humanity." He also refused
to take calls from Israel’s Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and rejected
a request by Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni to visit Ankara.

While it is unlikely that Israel would reverse its long-standing
refusal to acknowledge the Armenian Genocide, it may decide not
to accommodate future Turkish requests to have American Jewish
organizations to lobby against a congressional resolution on the
Armenian Genocide. Ankara has long depended on Israel to act as
a conduit to Washington and to American Jewish organizations who
have frequently acted as a kind of surrogate lobby for Turkey in
Washington. In the past, Jewish organizations have been instrumental
in helping Turkey block efforts to introduce resolutions in Congress
recognizing the Armenian genocide of 1915," Harut Sassounian writes.

On December 27, 2008, Israel launched a military campaign codenamed
Operation Cast Lead, targeting the members and infrastructure of
Hamas. As of 12 January 2009, 13 Israelis and 898 Palestinians are
estimated to have perished in the conflict. All but three of the
Israeli casualties have been soldiers, while 333 of the Gaza casualties
have been women and children. 257 children in Gaza have been killed,
making up a third of Palestinian casualties.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress