ARMENIAN GENOCIDE USED TO GET AT TURKEY
The National
rticle?AID=/20100308/OPINION/703079948/1126&te mplate=columnists
March 8 2010
UAE
It isn’t unlikely that the Israeli lobby in the United States has
played a major part in the recent US congressional vote that accused
Turkey of committing genocide against the Armenians in 1915, commented
Abdelbari Atwan, the editor-in-chief of the pan-Arab newspaper Al
Quds al Arabi.
"For it is clear that Turkish-Israeli relations have been on a steady
decline since Recep Tayyip Erdogan took his stance against the latest
Israeli assault on the Gaza Strip and continued his public calls for
lifting the oppressive Israeli blockade on Gaza."
The Israeli lobby has tremendous sway in the US congress. The Israeli
lobby has always stood by Turkey against the Armenians, but after
changes in the Turkish position regarding the Palestinian cause,
the pressure group started turning against Ankara’s interests.
Though the congressional committee’s vote was tight, 23 ayes to 22
nays, it came as a destructive blow to the momentous Turkish efforts
towards normalising relations with its Armenian neighbour. Israel
has a major stake in Ankara becoming isolated in the region because
Mr Erdogan, the Turkish prime minister, is the only state leader who
has not yet been tamed in one way or another by Israeli power and
has become "a thorn in Israel’s side".