Author: Toganian Liana

DEPUTY HEAD OF ARMENIAN PRESIDENTIAL ADMINISTRATION: NOVRUZ MAMEDOV’S STATEMENTS ARE AS AMAZING AS RIDICULOUS

ArmInfo
2009-02-05 19:07:00

ArmInfo. "Novruz Mamedov’s statements are as amazing as ridiculous",-
Deputy Head of Armenian Presidential Administration Vigen Sargsyan
said when commenting on Representative of the Azerbaijani Presidential
Administration Novruz Mamedov’s statement concerning Armenian President
Serzh Sargsyan at ArmInfo correspondent’s request.

"Let us put aside the fact how much the vocabulary of the high-ranking
official of the Azeri presidential administration meets the ethical
norms or what courage is in his imagination. This should most of all
concern himself and his leaders",- Vigen Sargsyan said. According
to him, it was preliminarily envisaged that President Serzh Sargsyan
was to participate in the hearings dedicated to the problems of the
South Caucasus and Central Asia held within the frames of the World
Economic Forum in Davos. However, as a result of changes in the format
of invitees to the hearings, it was decided that the given hearings
would be held at the level of foreign ministers, and the hearings
were held in this format. "But this is not important. The matter is
that such infantile comments by no means contribute to promotion of
the dialogue on Karabakh peace process between the two countries’
presidents",- Vigen Sargsyan stressed.

DISCUSSIONS OVER CRIMINAL CODE ARTICLES 225 AND 300

Panorama.am
17:32 05/02/2009

On 5 February the Chairman of National Assembly Standing Committee
on State and Legal Affairs Davit Harutyunyan chaired the maiden
session of the working group to draft the changes and supplements
of the articles 225 and 300 of the Criminal Code, reports the public
relations department of the National Assembly.

The head of the working group Davit Harutyunyan mentioned in his
speech that the mission of making certain changes in the above
mentioned articles is to make them correspond to some definite legal
principles and to the European standards. Mr. Harutyunyan pointed
out the shortcomings of the current articles. He reminded that the
recommendations to the changes should be presented on 19 February.

The members of the working group Davit Harutyunyan, Artsvik
Minasyan, Hrayr Tovmasyan presented their view points regarding the
recommendations.

YEREVAN PRESS CLUB WEEKLY NEWSLETTER

JANUARY 30 – FEBRUARY 5, 2009

HIGHLIGHTS:

"PRESS CLUB" CYCLE: PENITENTIARY SYSTEM OF ARMENIA

AMENDMENTS TO THE BROADCAST LAW ARE NONSENSE – TO SAY THE LEAST

NATIONAL ASSEMBLY RESTRICTS THE MOVEMENT OF TV CAMERAS

THE BOOK "ARMENIA-AZERBAIJAN 2005-2008: OPINIONS OF IMPORTANCE"

"PRESS CLUB" CYCLE: PENITENTIARY SYSTEM OF ARMENIA

On January 31 on "Yerkir Media" TV company another "Press Club" show was
aired. The cycle is produced under Yerevan Press Club project, supported by
the Human Rights and Governance Grants Program of Open Society Institute.
The guests of the TV program host, YPC President Boris Navasardian were the
head of the Court and Legal Reforms Department of the RA Ministry of Justice
Arthur Hovhannisian, the head of Civil Society Institute Arman Danielian and
writer Sergey Galoyan. The discussion subject was the reform of the
penitentiary system of Armenia.

The next "Press Club" show will be aired on "Yerkir Media" on Saturday,
February 7, at 17.40.

AMENDMENTS TO THE BROADCAST LAW ARE NONSENSE – TO SAY THE LEAST

The agenda of the first four-day session of the RA National Assembly
included the package of amendments to the RA Laws "On Television and Radio",
"Statutes of the RA National Assembly", "Statutes of the RA National
Commission on Television and Radio", "On State Duty". Yet the documents
submitted to the consideration of the parliament, similarly to the previous
versions of this legislative package, did not address any of such key issues
of the broadcast sphere as ensuring plurality of the regulatory body,
transparency of broadcast licensing competitions, distinct criteria for the
decision-making of the National Commission on Television and Radio in
licensing process, development of the mechanisms of the regulation of the
activities of Public TV and Radio Company, the digitalization of
broadcasting in the context of Armenia’s commitments to the Council of
Europe. It is the need to solve these issues that the journalistic
associations of the country and international experts have been insisting on
for many years already. Moreover, the renewed package displays a number of
other shortcomings as well.

On February 3 Yerevan Press Club, "Internews" Media Support NGO, the
Committee to protect Freedom of Expression and the Media Diversity Institute
Armenia released the following statement:

"Discussion of the updated package of amendments to broadcast legislation is
on the agenda of the regular session of National Assembly of Armenia. The
quality of that document has exceeded our worst expectations: the number of
lexical, logical and legal lapses has made it useless to subject it to
detailed analysis especially since our organizations, for the last years,
have been consistently and constructively responding to all the legislative
initiatives in the area of the mass media, comprehensively assessing all the
official legislative drafts and promoting their own suggestions. In
particular, in December, 2008 Yerevan Press Club and Internews submitted
their detailed comments on the previous version of that legislative package
to the relevant parliamentary commission. Virtually, none of our crucial
remarks were taken into consideration. Instead, new provisions appeared in
the draft amendments to the RA Law "On Television and Radio", a part of them
deserving to be called nothing more than "nonsense".

In November, 2008 representatives of our organizations were invited to
become members of the working group on media legislation at the Standing
Commission of NA on Science, Education, Youth issues and Sport. The first
meeting of the group took place on November 20. On December 19, 2008 the
National Assembly organized hearings on some aspects of broadcast media
regulation. However, those undertakings, apparently, were of no benefit. As
for the new version of the legislative package, NA did not even find it
necessary to present it to the working group. In that case, why the group
was formed for at all? Once again, we have to state that various civilized
forms of legislative process have an exclusively "decorative" function here.
In such a situation, and taking into consideration the quality of the
document that was proposed for discussion at the parliamentary session,
further serious work at that document would mean expressing disrespect to
our own professional dignity.

Not going into the details, indicative of the drafters’ incompetence and
negligence, we will take the liberty of pointing at the main methodological
mistakes (or deliberate tricks?) that have appeared in the updated package,
in addition to the already-existing ones. To begin with, it is a matter of
crude substitution of concepts. Since the first day of the adoption of the
Law "On Television and Radio" in 2000, local experts and representatives of
international organizations have been talking about the need for legislative
guarantees of social-political diversity at the Council of Public Television
and Radio Company. Instead, the drafters suggest professional diversity
(expert in journalism, expert in broadcasting or telecommunications,
business or finance manager, etc.) Secondly, the drafters have invented an
oath for the members of the Council, as well as the National Commission on
Television and Radio, without devising any real guarantees for the
independence of those bodies, the necessity of which is being constantly
talked about. The demand to take an oath of devotion to civil society,
freedom of information and other lofty principles, in the absence of
reliable mechanisms contributing to independence, pluralism and
accountability to the society, only increases the concentration of hypocrisy
that is already a big problem in our public life. Once again, the two
above-mentioned crucial shortcomings of the legislative package are but a
small part of unacceptable provisions and absurdities contained in it.

In its Resolution 1643 (2009), Parliamentary Assembly of Council of Europe
calls upon the authorities of Armenia "to fully implement the forthcoming
recommendations of the Council of Europe experts" in regard to the
independence of the media regulatory bodies in the country. We don’t know
about the contents of the latest recommendations of CE experts, although the
members of the above-mentioned working group, probably, should have been
notified of them (otherwise, how can they help the specialized commission?)
However, there is no doubt about the fact that PACE Resolutions 1609 (2008)
and 1620 (2008), as well as the numerous appeals of the OSCE Representative
on Freedom of the Media concerning broadcast legislation, have not been
adequately reflected in the draft laws proposed for discussion.

Besides, the provision of Resolution 1643 on canceling all tenders for
broadcasting frequencies until July 20, 2010 has been totally ignored. PACE
emphasized that "the technical requirements for the introduction of digital
broadcasting should not be used by the authorities to unduly delay the
holding of an open, fair and transparent tender for broadcasting licenses,
as demanded by the Assembly." Meanwhile, the related amendment to the Law
"On Television and Radio", adopted on September 10, 2008 in defiance of all
the democratic and procedural norms, underwent no changes by the package
drafters.

Unfortunately, everything happening around broadcast legislation indicates
that NA deputies simply have not realized the necessity of learning a lesson
from the situation when the delegation of Armenian parliamentarians faced
the real threat of losing the right to vote at PACE. Reassuring themselves
and people around them with exorcisms about gradualness of reforms,
including in the area of freedom of speech, as well as the impossibility of
approaching European standards in a brief period of time, they continue to
discredit the very concept of reforms in the sphere of information, harming
the reputation of the country and the prospects of its democratic
development.

Here are some facts to back up our statement. The first version of the
legislative package that gave rise to this statement emerged in June, 2008.
Since then, the apparent shortcomings in the draft laws not only have not
been removed but have been supplemented with new, more glaring lapses. Not
to mention that drastic improvement of broadcast legislation has been on the
agenda for more than eight years. Is it what we call gradual reforms?

Under the circumstances we have no choice but to urge the deputies of the
National Assembly to quickly forget the package proposed for discussion for
the current four-day session, return to one of its previous versions and
work at the fundamental revision of the document, taking into account the
numerous remarks and suggestions of the working group members, as well as
the recommendations of international organizations and their experts", – the
statement of four journalistic organizations says.

Discussion on the package of amendments to the broadcast law was postponed
to the next four-day session of the National Assembly.

NATIONAL ASSEMBLY RESTRICTS THE MOVEMENT OF TV CAMERAS

Since February 2, the start of the spring session of the RA National
Assembly, restrictions have been introduced on TV camera movement in the
parliament session hall. As YPC was told at the parliament, this was done in
accordance with the instructions from the recently appointed Chief of Staff
of RA National Assembly Gegham Gharibjanian. Now the cameramen are allowed
to make shootings freely during 30 minutes from the start of the sessions,
after which the work of the TV cameras is allowed only from certain spots in
the back end of the session hall. The restriction does not apply to the
sessions devoted to the statements by the deputies as well as question and
answer sessions with the Government. Restrictions of TV camera movement are
common in the international practice, yet the use of such measures must be
strictly defined in the accreditation procedure or the NA Regulations.
Otherwise they may be seen as voluntary restrictions of the media freedom.

THE BOOK "ARMENIA-AZERBAIJAN 2005-2008: OPINIONS OF IMPORTANCE"

Presentation of the book "Armenia-Azerbaijan 2005-2008: opinions of
importance" took place on February 5 in Yerevan. The book is published by
"Region" Research Center of the "Investigative Journalists" NGO. It contains
a collection of analytical articles and interviews with politicians,
journalists, experts, artists from Armenia and Azerbaijan on the impact of
the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict on the society in both countries. The attitude
of international organizations towards the conflict and its connection with
geopolitical processes is also examined. The articles and interviews were
prepared by the "Region" Research Center and its partner in Azerbaijan –
Institute of Peace and Democracy under the joint project "Breaking the
stereotypes and forming a united information space" supported by the British
organization Conciliation Resources. The materials contained in the book
have been published in "Azg", "168 Zham" (Armenia) and "Novoye Vremya"
(Azerbaijan) newspapers and also being posted on some internet sites. The
book is bilingual, containing Armenian and Russian versions of included
materials.

When reprinting or using the information above, reference to the Yerevan
Press Club is required.

You are welcome to send any comment and feedback about the Newsletter to:
[email protected]

Subscription for the Newsletter is free. To subscribe or unsubscribe from
this mailing list, please send a message to: [email protected]

Editor of YPC Newsletter – Elina POGHOSBEKIAN

____________________________________ ________
Yerevan Press Club
9B, Ghazar Parpetsi str.
0002, Yerevan, Armenia
Tel.: (+ 374 10) 53 00 67; 53 35 41; 53 76 62
Fax: (+374 10) 53 56 61
E-mail: [email protected]
Web Site:

TIGRAN SARGSYAN: THE STATE HAS CREATED FAVORABLE CONDITIONS FOR PRIVATE SECTOR TO MAKE INVESTMENTS

Noyan Tapan

Feb 3, 2009

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 3, NOYAN TAPAN. 3.2% economic growth was recorded in
Armenia’s agricultural sector in 2008, including 1.5% in plant growing,
and 6.4% growth in cattle breeding. The RA minister of agriculture
Aramayis Grigorian stated in his annual report submitted to the
prime minister Tigran Sargsyan on February 3 that last year the main
activities of the ministry were aimed at improving the legislative
basis of the agrarian sector.

The deputy head of the RA State Revenue Committee Armen Alaverdian
said that in 2009 the agriculture will be taxed with value added tax
(VAT). However, some criteria for differentiating big enterprises
from small and medium ones should be developed in cooperation with
the ministry of agriculture.

In the words of the prime minister, 80% of farms will not feel
the impact of the law on VAT as the law applies only to big
entrepreneurs. In the next 3 years the agriculture will be one of
the branches of primary importance, and definite programs need to be
implemented for this purpose.

In the opinion of T. Sargsyan, the global financial and economic crisis
is creating exceptional opportunities for the Armenian agriculture,
and it is necessary to realize crucial projects. In particular
special attention should be paid to the processing sector where
great potential exists which is evident from seasonal fluctuations of
prices in winter and summer. It means that the number of processing
enterprises is insufficient. "There are sectors where we see potential
and can increase production volumes and replace the import," the prime
minister noted. As a result, GDP will grow, the balance of payment
and the balance of trade will improve, and new jobs can be created.

Underlining the importance of the cooperation between the state and
the private sector, T. Sargsyan said: "The state has created favorable
conditions for the private sector to make investments".

ANGLICAN BISHOP DENIED ENTRY TO GAZA

Religious Intelligence Ltd
ewsID=3783
Feb 4 2009
UK

The Rt Rev Suheil Dawani, the Anglican Bishop in Jerusalem and Bishop
of the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem that includes Gaza, after two
hours of waiting was denied entry into the Gaza Strip at the Israeli
EREZ security Crossing Point this morning along with Lutheran Bishop
Mounib Younan.

A spokesman for the Anglican diocese said that both Bishops were
on a pastoral visit to include the al-Ahli Hospital in Gaza, an
institution of the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem, and to members of
their communities as part of a five-member delegation of the Jerusalem
Heads of Church. The decision for the pastoral visit was apparently
made two weeks ago and negotiations for the permits were begun with
the Israeli authorities for that purpose. They had been informed that
their request to enter Gaza had been granted.

But the stated decision to deny them entry into the Gaza Strip today
by the Israeli EREZ authorities was that they were both Palestinians,
even though both hold Jerusalem Israeli IDs. Among those from
the delegation allowed to enter the Gaza Strip was Archbishop Aris
Shirvanian of the Armenian Patriarchate in Jerusalem (who also holds
the same Identification Card as both Bishops), Ethiopian Archbishop
Abba Matias, and Latin Church Patriarch Fouad Twal.

Bishop Dawani in a statement on arrival back at his Diocesan Offices
at St George’s Cathedral stated: "I deeply regret the decision by
those at the EREZ Crossing Point to deny me, a recognized Anglican
Bishop of the Church in Jerusalem with pastoral responsibilities in
Gaza, this important pastoral opportunity during the present quiet in
the cease-fire, to visit my diocesan al-Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza
City. The Hospital has been carrying a great responsibility for the
diocese in providing high quality healthcare to the Gaza communities
for over a Century of exemplary medical and humanitarian services."

"During this Gaza Conflict", the Bishop said "our hospital and the
dedicated heroic staff provided urgent emergency, in patient, and
outpatient care to many hundreds of civilians, children women and
men, tragically caught in the fray of the military operations. The
staff ministered to the wounded, injured and the dying under great
conditions of stress. Their devotion and work was admirable in the
highest tradition of medical ethics and Christian compassion. The
purpose of my visit to Gaza, along with my colleagues, the Heads of
Churches, was to pastorally affirm such outstanding services rendered,
and be the pastor that I am to our people.

"With sense of great sadness" he said, "and having just returned from
a visit to Washington DC yesterday, I deeply regret such a denial of
entry, on whatever grounds so stated, by the authorities. Gaza remains
a portion of my diocese in the administration of my pastoral duties and
responsibilities as a Bishop of the Church for the care of my staff
and people. The denial of entry to myself and Bishop Mounib Younan,
a close colleague who has been a collegial and active partner in the
ministry which began between our two Churches Lutherans and Anglicans
since 1841, is reprehensible.

"I say this, because it reflects badly on those in authority at these
‘crossing points’, and which the international community had demanded
be open to humanitarian endeavors – and most certainly pastoral care
is an important factor in such services.

"In spite of this denial of entry today" the Bishop emphasized, "I will
try, and try again to reach our Hospital and people in Gaza to provide
the pastoral care as well as the necessary review and supervision of
our Hospital, as both its Chairman and President. My intention here is
to care for our people and staff and to insure a continued impeccable
healthcare and other related services rendered to the community.

"As Anglicans" the Bishop continued, "a faith community across 130
countries, and as caring Christians, the third largest Christian
family, and within our collegial interfaith family partnership here
in this Diocese of Jerusalem that serves five countries, we have
had a rich tradition of devoted and selfless non-sectarian service
to all those in need, and certainly in critical areas of healthcare
and education".

Bishop Dawani emphasized his commitment to peace and communal
understanding by saying: "Regardless of what happened today at EREZ,
I will continue the work of Peace and Reconciliation during this
difficult time that we face. And as I have always said, we must keep
faith and hope alive against all odds as we work in earnest for a
just peace and security for all Palestinians and Israelis alike.

I remain committed to a Two-State solution that will bring
reconciliation and harmony. A solution that brings betterment for all
of our communities in Israel and Palestine, to enjoy the blessings
of a far better quality of life that they justly deserve with the
attendant economic and social opportunities to build the foundation,
the fabric of an enduring equitable society".

ARMENIAN POLICE REFUTES REPORTS BY AZERBAIJANI MEDIA REGARDING TALKS FOR PURCHASING OF TURKISH WATER JET CANNONS

ArmInfo
2009-02-04 20:55:00

ArmInfo. Armenian Police has fully refuted the reports by Azerbaijani
APA that Turkish Company ‘Nur®l Makina ve Sanayi’ allegedly is
negotiating with Armenia for purchase and sale of armor used when
interfering in public events.

‘It is one of their usual crazy ideas. I assure you that Armenian
Police does not need any new water jet cannons’, Head of the Armenian
Police Press Service, Lt. Colonel Sayat Shirinyan said to ArmInfo. He
said the given ‘report’ was disseminated in the context of the
provocation policy of Armenia’s neighbor in the region.

–Boundary_(ID_GMGOtNOZMfro3nlcBsUUug)–

ANKARA SHOULD APPRECIATE YEREVAN’S MOVES FOR NORMALIZATION OF RELATIONS

PanARMENIAN.Net
04.02.2009 17:53 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The Armenian Assembly of America hails the efforts
for normalization of the Armenian-Turkish relations and the recent
meeting between the Presidents of the two states, the Assembly’s
Regional Director for Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh told a news
conference in Yerevan

"Just a year ago, no one could fancy that Turkish President may pay a
visit to Yerevan. If the tendency is upheld, the right solution will
be found," Ms. Arpi Vartanian said.

"Turkey should appreciate Armenia’s willingness to normalize relations
without preconditions and should stop interfering in the Karabakh
process and acknowledge the Armenian Genocide," she said. "The recent
developments inspire hope for continuation of the dialogue."

Turkish President Abdullah Gul was in Yerevan to September 6, 2008
to watch a World Cup qualifier between the Armenian and Turkish
national soccer teams. The dialogue was later continued at the
ministerial level.

AZG Armenian Daily #015, 31/01/2009

Press Release

LATEST ISSUE OF GENOCIDE STUDIES AND PREVENTION HIGHLIGHTS NEW
DIRECTIONS IN GENOCIDE RESEARCH

As Genocide Studies and Prevention: An International Journal completes
its third year of publication, its latest issue presents some
interesting and influential new directions in the field. The topics
presented include: the insidious role rape plays within a genocidal
context, affecting not only women but entire societies; insight into
the paradox of genocide prevention; a review and critique of
comparative genocide theory; the importance and effects of teaching
genocide; and the role hate speech plays in ethnic violence and
genocide.

"Rape as a Weapon of Genocide" by Alison Ruby Reid-Cunningham, PhD
Candidate, School of Social Welfare, at the University of
California-Berkeley is one of the few scholarly articles on rape in
genocide. This is an extremely timely issue in light of the ongoing
use of rape as a weapon both in the Darfur region of Sudan and in the
Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Reid-Cunningham examines the cases
of Bosnia-Herzegovina, Rwanda, Darfur, and the DRC and argues that the
impact of rape pierces the entire community and is a means of cultural
control. Her thorough analysis moves genocide studies much farther
along the path toward understanding how crimes against women become
"generalized to the whole population as survivors, witnesses,
families, and communities internalize rape as an assault on their
collective consciousness."

Robert Melson, the Cathy Cohen-Lasry Distinguished Professor in the
Strassler Family Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies at Clark
University investigates "Churchill in Munich: The Paradox of Genocide
Prevention." The paradox involves the irony that leaders who have gone
to great lengths to prevent catastrophes are not rewarded for their
actions, simply because society only sees the cost spent on
prevention, and there is no proof of their success if the genocide is
adverted.

The third article, "Theorizing Destruction: Reflections on the State
of Comparative Genocide Theory," is by Maureen Hiebert, Assistant
Professor, Law and Society Program, Faculty of Communications and
Culture, at the University of Calgary and an ongoing Faculty member of
the GHRUP. She illustrates that although comparative genocide
theorizing has come a long way in explaining the onset of genocide and
genocidal process, there is still much work to be done. Professor
Hiebert believes that comparative genocide studies’ focus on
definitions of genocide leaves the discipline under-theorized relative
to other disciplines in the social sciences and humanities. In
addition, she argues that the discipline requires more rigorous
testing of the existing theories using comparative methodological
practices. Ultimately she concludes that genocide scholars must find a
way to "bridge the gap between abstract theorizing¦and concrete
policy making."

Henry Maitles, Faculty of Education, University of Strathclyde,
Glasgow, examines the question "’Why are we learning this?’: Does
Studying the Holocaust Encourage Better Citizenship Values?". This
study followed a cohort of 100 students (aged 11-12) who studied the
Holocaust and compared their values one year later both to their
earlier attitudes and to those of their peers who had not studied the
Holocaust. Professor Maitles found that in general, learning about the
Holocaust had a positive effect on students’ attitudes on contemporary
issues, such as racism and discrimination.

Lastly, "Counteracting Hate Speech as a Way of Preventing Genocidal
Violence" by Wibke Timmerman, PhD Candidate, Irish Centre for Human
Rights, at the National University of Ireland suggests that "In order
to successfully prevent genocidal crimes and violence, it is
indispensable to effectively address the problem of systematic
incitement of hatred." Timmerman further suggests that effectively
addressing this problem would require state-organized hate propaganda
to be criminalized under international law. The criminalization of
hate speech sits on a slippery slope with risks to freedom of speech,
and thus this article opens up an important discussion, but falls
short of answering some critical questions in terms of utility in
genocide prevention.

Editor Herb Hirsch, Professor of Government and Public Affairs at
Virginia Commonwealth University, proudly notes in his introduction
some of the groundbreaking topics the journal has covered in its first
three years of publication. He states that the editors are looking
forward to the fourth year of the journal and a continued trend in
presenting new and innovative material.

Genocide Studies and Prevention: An International Journal was
co-founded by the International Association of Genocide Scholars and
the International Institute for Genocide and Human Rights Studies (A
Division of the Zoryan Institute). The journal’s mission is to
understand the phenomenon of genocide, create an awareness of it as an
ongoing scourge, and promote the necessity of preventing it, for both
pragmatic and moral reasons. It is the official journal of the
International Association of Genocide Scholars and is published three
times a year by the University of Toronto Press. For more information,
contact the IIGHRS at [email protected] or Tel: 416-250-9807.

THE DEFAMATION LEAGUE: THE LIBERAL MEDIA
By Eric Alterman

The Nation
man?rel=hp_currently
Jan 30 2009
NY

To delve deeply almost anywhere into the arguments over the Israeli/
Palestinian conflict is to invite an overload of irony, but let
us focus for one moment on a fracas caused by Abe Foxman, national
director of the B’nai B’rith Anti-Defamation League. Irony No. 1 is
that a "league," as such, does not exist. Foxman is it. (When asked,
for a New York Times profile, whom in the organization besides himself
a reporter might interview, Foxman "couldn’t think of anyone.") Irony
No. 2? Under Foxman, "antidefamation" is not really the ADL’s line;
defamation is.

Take, for example, Foxman’s recent attack on Bill Moyers (a
longstanding friend and occasional supporter of my work). When
Moyers broadcast a less than laudatory commentary about Israel’s
Gaza invasion, Foxman accused the veteran journalist and liberal
icon of–I kid you not–"moral equivalency, racism, historical
revisionism, and indifference to terrorism." (You can read it online at
pbs.org/moyers/â~@¨journal/blog/2009/ 01/exchange_between_billmoyers&#
8232;_a.html, together with Moyers’s response.)

The incident says far more about Foxman than Moyers. As M.J. Rosenberg
of the Israel Policy Forum observed, Moyers "is one of the most admired
figures in America. This attack will harm not at all. It will, in fact,
enhance his reputation just as Ed Murrow’s was enhanced by the attacks
on him during the McCarthy era." Still, it is demonstrative of the
maximalist Manichaean mindset that characterizes so much of American
Jewish officialdom. Among Moyers’s myriad sins, says Foxman, was
his "ignorance of the terrorist threat against Israel, claiming that
checkpoints, the security fence, and the Gaza operation are tactics of
humiliation rather than counter-terrorism." Now really: is it so hard
to imagine that the checkpoints, security fence and Gaza operations
are tactics of both humiliation and counter-terrorism? Where, exactly,
would be the contradiction?

But for the likes of Foxman, any action Israel takes is de
facto defensive and solely in the interests of peace, no matter
how warlike. He goes so far as to attack Barack Obama’s choice
of former Senator George Mitchell as the US envoy to the region
because–get this–Mitchell is "fair" and "meticulously even-handed,"
and Foxman says he is "not sure the situation requires that kind
of approach." Foxman’s moral compass has gotten so twisted, he has
the ADL working to undermine Congressional resolutions condemning
genocide–specifically, that committed by Turks against the
Armenians. Foxman does not dispute that genocide took place; rather,
he argues that it would be inconvenient for Turkish (and Israeli) Jews
were Congress to take note of it. So we have reached a point where
an organization founded by Jews in 1913 to "secure justice and fair
treatment to all citizens alike" is now in the business of defaming
those with whom its director disagrees and purposely turning a blind
eye to genocide. In light of the desire of so many anti-Semites to
treat the Holocaust in a similar fashion, Foxman’s position strikes
this Jew at least as one too many ironies to be tolerated.

What’s more, the defamation of Moyers escalated further. Following
Foxman’s fusillade, New York Times neocon William Kristol inserted
in a regular column–yet another devoted as usual to the majesty
of George W. Bush’s leadership–an attack on Moyers for allegedly
"lambast[ing] Israel for what he called its ‘state terrorism,’ its
‘waging war on an entire population’ in Gaza." Like Foxman, Kristol
also implied that Moyers was guilty of racism.

Again, read the text of Moyers’s remarks. Neither Kristol nor Foxman
notes his stated belief that "every nation has the right to defend its
people. Israel is no exception, all the more so because Hamas would
like to see every Jew in Israel dead," or his deep concern about the
growth of "a radical stream of Islam [that] now seeks to eliminate
Israel from the face of the earth." Yet despite the fact that Bill
Moyers is, well, Bill Moyers, the Times editors not only allowed
Kristol to deliberately distort and decontextualize his remarks;
they would not allow Moyers to defend himself in his own words in
response. After the PBS journalist submitted a letter to the editor,
he was told, "We will not print that ‘William Kristol distorts or
misrepresents,’ and the editors will not budge." They insisted that
the letter be changed for publication to read, "I take strong exception
to William Kristol’s characterization," and they truncated much else.

This is pathetic and ridiculous. If one were to survey, say, 1,000
journalists or even 1,000 New York Times readers and ask them whether
they were more likely to trust the judgment, honesty or bravery of
Bill Moyers or of William Kristol, my guess is that the result would
be a landslide victory in Moyers’s favor that would dwarf that of
Barack Obama’s over John McCain. I’d even bet the same would be true
in a private survey of Times editors. Yet publisher Arthur Sulzberger
Jr. and editorial page editor Andrew Rosenthal–rather than admit
their colossal mistake in giving so prestigious and influential a
perch to Kristol, who was at long last ushered off the page with
his next column just one week later–instead chose to empower his
McCarthyite slanders against one of America’s most distinguished
patriots and practitioners of their profession.

Writing in the Israeli newspaper Ha’aretz, the celebrated author
and patriot David Grossman termed the Gaza operation "just one more
way-station on a road paved with fire, violence and hatred," and added,
"our conduct here in this region has, for a long time, been flawed,
immoral and unwise."

When Foxman and Kristol have the guts to go after Grossman–who,
after all, lost his son two years ago in a war both men supported from
the comfort of their armchairs–then perhaps we might take seriously
their complaints about the relatively moderate sentiments expressed
by Moyers. Until then, I fear, we must chalk up their ideological
fanaticism and their moral and intellectual confusion as yet another
casualty of this endlessly destructive conflict.

About Eric Alterman Eric Alterman is a Distinguished Professor of
English, Brooklyn College, City University of New York, and Professor
of Journalism at the CUNY Graduate School of Journalism. He is also
"The Liberal Media" columnist for The Nation, a senior fellow and
"Altercation" weblogger for Media Matters for America, (formerly
at MSNBC.com) in Washington, DC, a senior fellow at the Center for
American Progress in Washington, DC, where he writes and edits the
"Think Again" column, a senior fellow (since 1985) at the World Policy
Institute at The New School in New York, and a history consultant to
HBO Films.

–Boundary_(ID_EEyDNd6FxqXKK911mIkIwQ)–

PACE SERIOUSLY CONCERNED ABOUT STATE OF PERSONS IMPRISONED FOR POLITICAL MOTIVATION IN ARMENIA

Noyan Tapan

Jan 28, 2009

STRASBOURG, JANUARY 28, NOYAN TAPAN. The PACE made a decision not to
suspend the voting rights of the Armenian delegation at this stage,
considering recent initiatives of Armenian authorities as a sign of
their willingness to implement the requirements of PACE Resolutions
1609 and 1620.

In Resolution 1643 passed by it, the PACE expresses discontent and
serious concern about the state of those imprisoned in connection with
the March 1-2 events in Yerevan. Nevertheless, the PACE believes that
the number of pardons granted by Armenian president Serzh Sargsyan (28
to date), the latest initiative of the National Assembly of Armenia to
amend the RA Criminal Code’s Articles 225 and 300 (about mass disorder
and usurpation of state power) in line with Council of Europe standards
within two months, as well as the positive steps taken for conducting 3
independent, transparent and reliable inquiries show that the Armenian
authorities are ready to implement the demands of the PACE.

The PACE also expressed concern about those who were imprisoned for
political motivation after events of March 1-2, 2008, and called on
Armenian authorities to continue releasing them by using other legal
means, including pardon and withdrawal of charges. The PACE also
proposed that the PACE Monitoring Committee should examine, prior
to the April session, progress made by the Armenian authorities in
terms of application of the previous resolutions, and based on the
situation, the Monitoring Committee should suggest futhur steps to
be taken by the PACE.