HEAD OF ISRAEL-AZERBAIJAN PARLIAMENTARY FRIENDSHIP GROUP: "I CONSIDER KNESSET WILL NOT ADOPT A RESOLUTION ON SO-CALLED "ARMENIAN GENOCIDE" – EXCLUSIVE

APA
April 29 2010
Azerbaijan

Baku. Lachin Sultanova – APA. "Armenian genocide" issue was raised at
the Israeli parliament for several times and every time it was sent t
the parliament’s foreign affairs and security committee", member of the
Israeli parliament’s foreign affairs and security committee, head of
the Israel-Azerbaijan parliamentary friendship group Robert Ilatov told
APA speaking about the "Armenian genocide" issue on agenda of Knesset.

He said they asked the parliament to remove the issue from agenda, but
they were rejected. "The issue was raised at the parliament and sent
to the committee several months ago, but it was not discussed so far.

It is rare case at the Israeli parliament. Usually we don’t discuss
the issues concerning two conflicted sides. Our faction will save its
position not to interfere in the problems between Turkey and Armenia".

The parliamentarian said that the committee didn’t review such
documents usually.

Ilatov said the committee had not enough authority to investigate
such issues. "Therefore I consider that the plenary session will not
pass decision on that". He added that there are discords on whether
to hold discussions behind the closed doors or not. The Knesset’s
standing orders committee will make decision on this issue.

Answering the question of the journalist, Ilatov said Israeli
government had an experience to make recommendations to the parliament
and every ministry, including foreign or defense ministries can be
recommended not to interfere in the conflict.

As regards the possibility that Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman
may give such a recommendation, Ilatiov underlined that he did not
doubt it.

"Our position is very clear. Six of the eight parliamentarians, who
yesterday voted against the decision, are the members of Israel –
Our Home, the party led by Lieberman. As I said yesterday, we are
not the Committee on Human Rights, or UN, we do not have any tool
to check the correctness of the facts, this is the problem of the
two sides, they should solve it themselves. We should interfere in
this conflict. We will express similar position in the committee for
foreign affairs and security," he said.

Commenting on the fact that there were Arabians among those who voted
for the decision, Ilatov said 10 out of 120 members of the Knesset
are Arabians. He added that Arabian parliamentarians vote for all
decisions that are against Turkey.

12 members of the Knesset voted for, 8 against the inclusion of the
so-called Armenian genocide into the parliament’s agenda. There are
Arabian parliamentarians among those who voted for the inclusion the
issue into the agenda.