JINSA: The ‘Armenian Resolution’ Should be Opposed and Defeated

Below is a report issued on March 1 by the Jewish Institute for National Security Affairs (JINSA). The text speaks for itself.

JINSA Report #: 968
March 1, 2010

Like swallows returning to Capistrano, Congress’s annual determination to debate the history of the Ottoman Empire is a sign of spring. The Turkish government’s approach to the American Jewish community to help sink the proposed congressional resolution officially recognizing the horrific killing of Armenians by Ottoman Turks in the early 20th century as genocide is a similar ritual. Unlike the swallows, however, both Congress and the Turks are out of their habitat.

During the flowering of Turkish-Israeli political and security relations, it was easy for representatives of the “organized” Jewish community to speak on behalf of its Turkish friends and against the resolution. As the Turkish government began to slide—and then rush—away from its relationship with Israel and slide—and then rush—toward new accommodations with Syria and Iran, the Jewish community has become less inclined to use its organizational skill on behalf of the agenda of a country that is less inclined toward the Western side of the great divide. It doesn’t help that the Turkish “request” for “help” has begun to sound more like a threat of damage yet to come.

It is tempting under the circumstances for the Jewish community to “lie low,” not support the resolution but not actively oppose it either. It is probably equally tempting for the Turkish government to start looking for someone to blame if the resolution passes—guess who?

To the extent that either side believed opposition to the resolution was a test of loyalty, or tied it to extraneous issues, they made a mistake. The Armenian resolution—driven largely by the Armenian American community—should be opposed and defeated. But the reasons stand without regard to the (increasingly difficult) behavior of the Turkish government and without regard to (increasingly difficult) Turkish-Israeli or Turkish-American relations.

• The Congress of the United States is not the place to debate the history of other people in other times. It would be unacceptable for Brazil to pass a resolution condemning 19th century American slavery, or Latvia to pass one on the War of 1812. The failings of our history and the resolution of our wars are our responsibility—and those of the Ottoman Turks have to find redress by their heirs. Particularly now.

• The Ottoman and Soviet Empires are gone; Turkey and Armenia are independent countries. Their governments have to find whatever understanding and accommodation are possible. Meddling by Congress—particularly when Turkey has fallen out of political favor—won’t help.

Turkey and Armenia have, in fact, made tentative—and reversible—steps toward bilateral relations, but the protocols they signed last autumn show signs of fraying and neither parliament has completed the ratification process. Switzerland was the mediator for the protocols, and perhaps could be of assistance. The U.S. government might also have a role to play, but passage of the Armenian resolution by Congress would make it impossible for the State Department to offer help. We recall that after Turkey invited Hamas to Ankara, its offer to mediate between Israel and its neighbors was no longer welcome in Jerusalem.

It’s another good reason to oppose the Armenian resolution when it comes before Congress later this week.

53 Comments

  1. Denial of a genocide is nothing but a second killing.
    So, the NAZI regime is not only gone but defeated and destroyed, why are your- THE JEWISH/JINSA- still fighting the denial of Jewish Holocaust by every mean and every where!?

    JINSA has never been so hounest, therefor no need to add further commnets to this shamefull statment! 

  2. The main argument of JINSA is that the United States is not Brazil or Lativa. Exactly, fellas.
    That’s why the legislative bodies of the greatest, strongest and most diverse country in the world, should pass the Armenian Genocide Resolution.

  3. Your article is disgraceful and unworthy of  a Jewish organization.  Imagine if  Americans started to have such a dismissive attitude towards the Holocaust…”That was between the Nazis and the Jews, let them sort it out”…You don’t think its the same? Guess again! You can only use such skewed logic when you estimate the value of one group of human beings as inherently less then your own…and in your schematic, genocided Armenians are simply less entitled to remembereance and dignity than dead Jews!
    Sincerely,
    Greg Chopoorian

  4. JINSA has some nerve publishing such rubbish.
    For how much longer will the Jewish lobby remain enslaved to their ottoman masters?

  5. If you look up this org. on the internet, you will see it is made up of neocons and right-wingers; people like Dick Cheney.  Those people are not in office now; Obama won the election; however, don’t be disappointed with Obama if he doesn’t let the resolution pass because of strategic interests, he may be a little better than Bush & Co. 

  6. Upon the flowering of Turkish-Iran relations, I anticipate not hearing a single peep from JINSA’s hypocrites.

  7. The US does not deny the American Slavery, does not deny the slaughter of the Indians, and the US dos not deny the war of 1812.  However, the Hebrew State of Israel, Turkey, and the US State Department deny the Armenian Holocaust.
     
    I wonder what the American Jewry and Holocaust survivors think of organizations such as JINSA, ADL, and AJC?
     
    Do American Jewry know that the word Genocide was coined by Jurist Raphael Lemkin, a lawyer of Polish-Jewish descent and a Holocaust survivor; to specifically describe the destruction of Armenians and the barbarity that befell upon them at the hands of the Turkish state?  If Raphael Lemkin was still alive he would have been ashamed at these hypocrite organizations.
    Rabbi Hillel said it best, “If I am not for myself, then who will be for me? And if I am only for myself, then what am I? And if not now, when?”

  8. Not in my name.  These stupid organizations need to learn to speak for themselves.  No decent person would affiliate themselves with an organization that didn’t recognize the genocide.  I stopped reading the adl site when they hemmed and hawed and decided to placate the Turks.   I understand the outrage as nothing upsets people more than hypocrisy but do know there is tremendous division in the Jewish community on this. 

  9. Jewish groups (JINSA, ADL, AJC, AIPAC) are in the same boat as that other high profile genocide denier – Iran’s Ahmadinejad.

  10. If US house of reps has no right to discuss the Armenian Genocide, then AhmediNajat has the right to deny the holocaust.

  11. Most Jews that I know support the resolution. JINSA does not represent the views of most Jews, whose sympathies are in solidarity with the Armenian people. Jewish-Americans and Armenian-Americans should support each other.

  12. It seems the few turkish slaps to Israel last year was not enough to wake up these shameful jewish organisations.A proper beating is needed!The way it is going it will soon arrive!Two arrogant nations deserve each other.
    If Israel & these jewish organisations deny the Armenian Genocide then it is their moral loss!
    Makes me puke on these idiots!

  13. This article is very truthful.  It does not share the same values as I have, but realistic none-the-less.   For this reason, I no longer have any compassion towards JINSA or the people it represents.

  14. Outrageous.  Imagine if the US Congress had no right to recognize the Holocaust against the Jews by nazi Germany!  What kind of utterly stupid nonsense is that!!  The US Congress has passed all kinds of bills commemorating and acknowledging many events of history around the world, concerning countries everywhere.  How flimsy is this stupidity these people paddle ???  So, Congress shouldn’t think about anything but keep its eyes, ears and mouth shut?  Congress should not forget this took place by one of those countries allied AGAINST the US in World War I, precisely because the Armenian population had so much interactivity with Western — especially American — institutions.  In and around Kharpert, where there was so much established by US institutions (like an American college for women, for example) was the fiercest of the slaughter, for precisely that reason.  US involvement in genocide relief was total:  it was the first international mission of the American Red Cross.  The Armenian Genocide was and remains a historical even in which the United States was fully engaged; Ambassador Morgenthau and his subordinates who left their memoirs for us make that clear enough to everyone.

  15. Sympathies are fine and appreciated.  With all due respects what are those same American Jewry doing about it?  They still have the likes of Abraham Foxman representing them.  Are the American Jewry calling their Congressman in support of House resolution recognizing the Armenian genocide?  Are the American Jewry protesting and demonstrating against the genocide deniers?  Are the American Jewry discussing this with their local, regional, and national leaders?  Actions speak louder than sympathies.
    What did the quote by Adolf Hitler that is engraved on one of the walls of the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C. say?
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Hitler_Armenian_Quote.JPG
     

  16. I sent the following e-mail to info@jinsa.org. It would be helpful if others do something similar.

    The report is available at http://www.jinsa.org/node/1316.


    Re: JINSA Report #968
    Hello,
     
    I would like to express my disappoint that an organization such as JINSA would target the Armenian community around the world in its condemnation of the Congressional resolution recognizing the Armenian Genocide which took place in the dying days of the Ottoman Empire.
     
    The zero-sum triangular game which you perceive among the Jewish and Armenian communities along with Turkey is unreasonable. This is a moral question, and your moral position – especially as a Jewish organization – is highly discouraging.
     
    Besides which, the United States was instrumental in innumerable ways when it came to dealing with the Armenian Genocide at the time, and with the subsequent fate of the Armenian people, apart from being a safe haven for refugees and their descendants. Then-president Woodrow Wilson is considered to be a national hero by Armenians. The country was even almost an American mandate under the League of Nations. Please see Peter Balakian’s ground-breaking work, The Burning Tigris, for a demonstration of how the American response to the Armenian Genocide was the first major humanitarian effort of this nation in its history.
     
    I would urge your organization to set aside its spiteful political calculations, which help no-one but only serve to harm proper intentions and reduce the reputation of Jewish establishments.
     
    Thank you,
     
    Nareg Seferian

  17. There is overwhelming evidence that the genocide committed against Armenian, Greek and Syrian Christians (often labeled the Armenian genocide) took place under the leadership of the Ottoman Turk authorities with the aid and assistance of Kurdish and Circassian civilians who inhabited the regions of eastern Anatolia in greater numbers than Turks.
    60 minutes will show you part of the evidence if you care to watch their most recent broadcast:
    http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=6253043n
    The official denial is represented by the Turkish official seen in the video who clearly falls back on the case that it was merely deportation, not genocide, when in fact it was both and the deportation demonstrates the systematic state involvement.  Many of the Syrian Christians were targeted by Kurdish irregulars in their towns and villages, so their graves are until this day being discovered in caves and near rivers where their bodies were dumped and burned.  The video shows a cave that was used as a make shift gas chamber, so indeed this genocide is the precursor and prototype for the Nazi perpetrated holocaust of WWII that inflicted the same horrific fate upon Jews and others.
    Shame on JINSA for siding with holocaust deniers for the sake of political support of Israel and shame on Israel for taking the same stand with respect to this issue.
     

  18. My real question is, is it congress’ place to dole out US tax money to Israel in the Billions under the guise of “aid” and “ally” when we are hurting here at this time. STOP THE MONEY FLOW TO ISRAEL and help the unemployed American!

  19. My Jewish friends would be singing quite a different tune if we were talking about the Holocaust. But then our government beat a confession and apology out the the Germans after WWII so the outcome was different for the Jews than what the Armenians now face.
    Ironic how  [some of] the very people that SHOULD understand the potential of denying the very event that one of their own even coined the word Genocide for, would fail so miserably to be sympathetic.
     

  20. Hey – I’ve got a SPLENDID idea! Why don’t we all go post our comments on the JINSA site?? I mean we’re selling snow to the Eskimos here, preaching to the choir, you know?

  21. The incredible statements by JINSA give more reasonto pass this resolution.  It’s for such stupid (and offensive) statements that warrant this resolution in the first place. 

  22. When the record is clear and substantiated by former  US presidents, reputable newspapers, international court, E.U.,  independent nations, and eyewitness U.S. diplomats, even a  miracle would not sway a self -serving Denialist. A denialist that has not truly investigated history is motivated by self interest only.

    Those that contribute to  deny the hurting of Holocaust and Genocide become no better than the
    actual beneficiaries.

    Stop the cover up, TRUTH  always triumph.

    Has Morality, Honesty, and Integrity gone out the window because of purely selfish geo-political
    interest?  If that is the case, why not also teach the same in your schools?

    If we have as much courage as any of the 20 nations that have properly affirmed the Armenian Genocide we should examplify that political and moral courage.  That’s what made  the true American character and that’s what made America the land of the free and brave.

  23. Their hypocrisy doesn’t know the limits.  It’s not the job of the Congress to discus the genocide that happenned but it has to weigh in on even on something that will never happen if the G word even hinted at Jews.  In 2007 The US House of Representatives passed a resolution calling on the UN Security Council to charge Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad with violating international laws pertaining to genocide by calling for the destruction of Israel.     They think 1.5 million people dont deserve Congress’ time but Congress passed resolution in 2009 condemning the violent attack on the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum on June 10, 2009.   They even think it’s Congresses job to sensor Arab media.   In 2008 House passes resolution that condemns the restrictions on freedom of the press and expression in the Arab world and the widespread presence of anti-Semitic material, Holocaust denial, and incitement to violence in the Arab media.

  24. They don’t think it’s US governments job to weigh in on the history but it is US government’s job to submit the draft resolution to the UN General Assembly condemning Holocaust denial.

  25. If you haven’t read the book THE ISRAEL LOBBY, then read it and promote it.  It should give insight to lobbying tactics/efforts for many groups.

  26. JINSA does not speak for anyone but their own virtually unknown fringe organization.  And even they acknowledge the genocide but claim that it’s somehow not appropriate for the US to issue resolutions about things that happen in foreign countries a long time ago (???!!!).  Let’s see how Jewish Congressmen like Joe Lieberman of Connecticut and Barbara Boxer of California vote.  Stop the anti-semitic comments, please, especially when we’re discussing the Armenian genocide.

  27. The biggest support for Armenians typically come from Jewish historians and Jewish politicians. The vast majority of Jews also sympathize with Armenians and even some of the minority that are against acknowledgment of the Genocide do so not because they believe or trust Turks, but for real-politik (but that group is growing smaller by the day). Its interesting how the Turks are parading the JINSA article as supports when in fact Valeriy is correct, JINSA agrees it was Genocide but are clinging to the belief that Turkey will somehow remain pro Israel. That ship has sailed.

  28. Why would the Jews and the Armenians help eachother? They’re two completely different people and don’t have much in common. Israel is a friend of Turkey. Turkey plays a major role in the existence of the nation of Israel. Israel knows that, without Turkey, it couldn’t survive. Armenia is not important enough for Israel and the Jews. Why would they bother to help them?

    I’m sorry for my somewhat bad English. I’m from The Netherlands.  

  29. I agree:  enough with the anti-Semitic remarks.  They don’t help us.
    What would help, ARMENIAN WEEKLY, if you are listening, is a story on how much money Turkey gets from the USA for those bases they keep threatening to demolish.  This is the most hollow threat possible.  I want to know how much US military aid Turkey is claiming they will give up if the genocide resolution passes!!  This is the most bogus argument of all — Turkey’s big threats!

  30. To those that say stop the “anti-Semitic remarks”, the truth is the truth.  It’s pretty unsettling when the Jewish  race, knowing full well the effects of being the victims of race extermination, while exerting every effort and opportunity to in list all others in its acknowledgment and condemnation, puts every effort forward to help obstruct and sometimes deny the mere rightful acknowledgment of another race’s extermination. That is what this is about. Self serving, morally bankrupt hypocrisy at it worst. I understand this, Jews are not the Armenians friends.
     
    Imagine if the Armenian lobby or any organization put the same effort forward to obstruct very Jewish or Israeli agenda here in the US?

  31. The ideology of the perpetrators of the genocide and the ideology of islamic terrorism are rooted in the same values which believe that BOTH Christians and jews are to be subjugated, converted or killed.  In the case of the Young Turks, they simply transformed the definition of being a Muslim to be a qualifier for being their newly defined “Turk” under Turkish nationalism.  So, you were allowed to live if you were a Kurd, Circassian, or other Muslim citizen of Anatolia, although you were identified via Turkification as a Turk in the newly formed Republic of Turkey which kept the same flag of its Ottoman predecessor.  Today, Iraq is being emptied of its Christians, and you only need to see the reports coming from Egypt, Malaysia, Algeria and other places where regardless of how small or how large the community of Christians is, they are targets.   So, the root of the problem is in prejudice, and once the rest of the world is emptied of its Christians, piece by piece they will target the weakest non-Muslim societies to take over one by one.  Cyprus, Greece, Russia, China, you name it and don’t expect to get even the slightest bit of respect.  So-called “tolerance” and equality are far from the same thing and any time the society encounters a problem, the Christians will pay for it with their blood, even if it is as simple as others’ poverty.
    So, passing a law against genocide is passing a law against the roots of the war on terror and enshrining in the value system of the United States its opposition to the value system of terror.  It will educate americans the same way civil rights, human rights, and women’s rights legislation guides american thought where it was previously deficient by raising human dignity to a new standard and making that an american standard and by extension a global standard.

  32. I disagree with the idea that Israel needs Turkey to survive.
     
    John wrote:
    Imagine if the Armenian lobby or any organization put the same effort forward to obstruct very Jewish or Israeli agenda here in the US?
     
    Well, that would be a pretty horrible thing to do, wouldn’t it?  I’m not denying that.  I’m just saying that not everybody from one ethnic group is all the same.
     

  33. PS Imagining if the Armenian lobbies ALL collectively lobbied against recognition of the Nazi Holocaust.  Now THAT would be an absolutely horrible immoral thing to do.  Undoubtedly, unthinkable.  But, fortunately it’s unthinkable.

  34. Bravo there “Concerned American”. Your thoughts are correct although many would avoid expressing what those in the Middle East already know. I have a picture of my wife and her sisters holding their Kalashnikovs pulling their duty guarding the Armenian section of Beirut where the various factions would regularly raid the neighborhood and take any men – mostly young students even teenagers and shoot them in the head. These groups did this because the Armenians refused to take sides and instead exemplified real examples of their faith by trying to broker peace between the factions among whom they had many friends. If this sounds far off from now just remember – it was not 1915 –  it was 1978. The past is closer than we think. And repeating it is easier than we think. And we Christians are naive if we think that good intentions are enough, case in point.
    Again bravo.

  35. Imagine if back in the days of West Germany the United States refrained from condemning the Holocaust for fear of offending a staunch NATO ally.

  36. Watching the Congressional hearing live, the following occurred to me:
    1.   The genocide issue is not a bilateral issue between Turkey and Armenia, nor the US and Turkey:
    The issue talks about the Ottoman empire and the US historical record on the issue for one.  More so, the victims of the genocide were all subjects of the Ottoman empire in territories once part of the Ottoman empire.  In that sense, any consequences from recognition could be as much applied to any successor state, meaning Armenia itself, Turkey or even Syria as successor states.  The Turks take issue because they fear legal repercussions which will lead perhaps to reparations and demands to restore the property rights of the victims of which they would bear the greatest responsibility.  Criminals always have every incentive to try to protect themselves from justice by denying the crime.
    2.  However, if both sides are supposedly equally at fault as the Turkish government claims, then they should want to see justice prevail and reparations and restoration of property should equally benefit Armenians, Turks and others who were victims.  So, Turkey would be leading the effort to see that all parties had their rights restored, regardless of their ethnicity.  Otherwise, if they are basically denying the crimes so that they can inherit the spoils which makes them accomplices, in fact incriminating themselves rather than absolving themselves of guilt.   Therefore, it is Turkey’s behavior that is in fact making this a legal issue for Turkey which makes the operative word “genocide” something that they fear so greatly.
    3.  Finally, the US needs to pass this resolution for the sake of our social evolution as a society.  Our constitution and the legal system from which it derives enshrines our values as a society.  Therefore, we must not allow interest based politics and business-politics to trump our value system otherwise our society will disintegrate at the hands of special interests rather than be strengthened by values.  It is in fact interest based politics that allows a government to single out minority groups and justify their persecution under the law and it is the law that allows people to rationalize these practices as permissible within their value system.  Afterall, as a society, we too are the successors of the old world, and our very existence as a country is in direct opposition to some aspect of the societies from which we each emigrated.  Our constitution is derived from opposition to practices which were inflicted upon us by the old world, so it is not only our right but the foundations or our country were laid by legislating against the old world.
    4.  In legal matters, legal precedents can inform the verdict of future cases.  By legislating on genocide, future cases will be clearer and can perhaps be prevented if eventually action is taken to extend the consequences of the recognition of genocide toward reparations and restoration of property and perhaps punitive measures in any instances of genocide.
    5.  The United States should not be concerned with whether or not we will lose Turkey as an ally if we are acting on the side of justice and truth.  The question we should concern ourselves with is why do we ally ourselves with a country whose founding ideology shares the same roots of our current enemy, Al-Qaeda? and whose leader is on record defending genocide in Sudan by saying that the President is a Muslim and Muslims do not commit genocide!  Perhaps we should be at war with Turkey in the war on terror rather than be worried about what they think of us.  If we shared the same values, we would share the same causes and be heading in the same future direction, not simply extending the timeframe before which our values must clash or surrendering our values for interest based and business based politics at the expense of our long term national security.  Turkey is already building strong relations with Iran based on their shared values, so why should we try to placate them while they organize against us directly and indirectly?  They have a long term vision and it will look a lot like 1915-1923 and that is based on their values.  The least we could do is speak out against it, when we should really be acting out against it!
    I thank the Armenian American community for drawing attention to our own poor foreign policy choices and the potential consequences, and as the first real victims of not only the genocides of the 20th century (and far earlier), but also as the first victims of the war on terror!
     
     
     

  37. The United States was founded on the principle of religious tolerance, the idea of a “melting pot” for all people. 
    Evolution is social.  Evolution of mankind may lead to more intermixing of people, which would be contrary to all racial intolerant and national movements.  If evolution is the primary trend and scientific evolution is proven correct and that is the road we are on, how many hundreds or thousands of years will that take? 
    So although  nationalism is strong today, will evolution overtake it eventually? 
    Read your story about the Armenian-Norwegian family and my intermixed Armenian-Jewish family; will these be the families of the future?  Right now, the nationalists don’t like the intermixed people, but they could be the people of the future. 
    Turkey certainly is holding on to a racial ideology according to the material on genocide on the change.org website and that is the reason they don’t accept the Armenian genocide; they are still believing themselves to be the ubermensch.  However, how many Armenians have they discovered were hidden by Turks, some who they discovered are their grandmothers or hidden by their grandmothers.   How many of the hidden or converted are Armenians.  Pretty soon they may discover “we are all Armenian” indeed. 

  38. Go to http://www.NoPlaceForDenial.com

    It tells the entire story of the successful Armenian American campaign against the genocide denials of the Anti-Defamation League, which has the same anti-Armenian views as JINSA and the AJC. 

    14 cities in Massachusetts severed ties with the ADL’s “No Place for Hate” program, beginning in the summer of 2007, as did the Massachusetts Municipal Association, which represents every city and town in the state.

    There are plenty of other ADL chapters of NPFH throughout the country, as well as many other ADL programs, including around Los Angeles.

    Does anyone out there wish to to do what Massachusetts Armenians have done and go after the ADL (making international news), or are we all just blowing smoke and wasting our time here?

  39. Dear Concerned American, I am with you and you made very good analysis why America should stand strong and approve the Armenian Genocide Resolution rather than act cowardly and oppose it.  I was listening to the Senators, their yes or no choices while they gave their speech within the five minute span of time that was granted to them.  One senator was opposing it that the time now is not good; because of this or of that reason; because of the protocols and because we still have an army in Iraq and Al-Qaeda.  Then the House Chairman, Mr. Howard Berman stopped him and said; I have been in here in this Senate for 27 years and every time that this Resolution is brough up to the Senate, they say that the time is not right for now, then he went on saying; when is the right time?  Is there any time that is right or it shall be right?  How true Mr. Berman, how very true!!!!

    Then Mr. Ackerman gave his five minute speech and said that the United States stopped France from acknowledging the Armenian Genocide; later on France acknowledged it anyhow and today the Turkish government politically and economically has even expanded rather than decreased their alliances and their economy.  The same happened with numerous other countries; and he named them one by one.  Mr. Sherman then went on saying that America is acting cowardly by not accepting the First Genocide of the 20th Century, and we are going backwards with Turkey on this rather than forward.  The US helps Turkey a great deal, economically and in many ways as an ally.  

    Frankly, (and these are now my words) that the US does much more than Turkey helps the US.  Turkey declined to support the US at the Gulf War times to grant land for the our army.  Thus Turkey is the one who needs U.S.’ help rather than the other way around.  America must stop acting cowardly and give in to Turkey to decline the Genocide Resolution.  Like my friend above said; America must help Armenia to go forward for the sake of our social evolution as a society.  If the United Sates is so concerned to see that peace and order is in the caucus between Armenia and Turkey, then wouldn’t it be the first step to recognize the Armenian Genocide, so that real peace and order will materialize between the two countries?

    Furthermore, how can Turkey, which has been a denyalist country for 95 years come to terms with the victim country Armenia to settle the Genocide between them?  It’s like asking the Jews and Israel that had seen the Haulocaust of 6 Million Jews killed by the hands of the Nazis to come to terms with the Nazi Germany to accept the Haulocaust.  If the world didn’t command Germany to accept their crimes and give reparations to the Jews from the Haulocaust; the Germans would not have accepted their crimes nor given repartions to the Jews. 

  40. Concerned American wrote:
     
    So, passing a law against genocide is passing a law against the roots of the war on terror and enshrining in the value system of the United States its opposition to the value system of terror.  It will educate americans the same way civil rights, human rights, and women’s rights legislation guides american thought where it was previously deficient by raising human dignity to a new standard and making that an american standard and by extension a global standard.
     
    Bravo!!

  41. The Armenian genocide is on going 1915-2010.  The last act of genocide is denial.  Genocide ceases only when denial ceases.
    The atrocities reached its maximum between 1915 and 1923.  The Turkish state is not only the inheritor of the Ottoman Empire; but also continues the genocide.
    Attaturk’s Turkey declared war on the first Armenian Republic (recognized by US, UK, France, Japan, and others) and continued the destruction of the Armenians within the territories of the Republic;  Turkey annexed nearly half of that Republic’s territories (Araart, Kars, Ani, Ardahan, etc..).
    Also, genocide is not just the act of deliberate killings, it is the eradication of any existence of culture, architecture, references to places, cities, names, raising children of a group as a different group (Turkification of orphans) , etc.. as if the victims never existed.
    The State of Turkey is guilty of Genocide.
    Keep in mind Turkey closed its borders with Armenia, an illegal act under international law; and under international law it is an act of war.   This is why Armenia signed an agreement with the Russian Federation to protect its frontiers from Turkey.
    Creating conditions that leads people to leave their cultural environment is a form of genocide.  As a result of Turkey’s hostile border closure, over 1 million Armenians left the country seeking economic survival elsewhere.

  42. Muslims are always going to hate the JEWS, that’s a matter of fact, TURKEY or any other Muslim country is not Israels friend and Israel knows this too.
     
    These are just couple of people getting TURKISH FUNDING BEHIND SECRET DOORS, don’t believe for one second that a MUSLIM TURK loves jews, in fact Turkish people say so themselves that they HATE jEWS.

  43. I agree with you Melinda. The Turks hate the Jews probably as much as the Armenians and for the same reasons for their: Education, western orientation, free-thinking, financial acumen, religious difference etc. In the end the Turks are part of the “umma”

  44. Robert you are nuts (2 legged one) & no other word can describe you.You want to play the anti-semetic card now?
     

  45. Hmm – I got an email that was a post from a “Robert” offering some other “history” about the Armenians and the atrocious and murderous acts and even (ye gods!) collusion with the Nazis during WWII. But it looks like the editors expunged it. Now that’s too bad. Too bad because we need to see the kind of baseless vitriol that is being manufactured by the “other” faction and believed by people that have not spent, as I have (and I’m non-Armenian remember) for over 30 years studying this subject. Yes, we need to see what’s being taught in the Turkish school system and we need to understand the many Turks brought up in their educational system consider it as an affront that they would tolerate a system that is not truthful (like they have a choice). So it may have to do more with the fact that they would have to admit that they, in this “enlightened” day and age, an age that they desperately wish to be part of, they are living in a police state and not the true democracy that was envisioned by Ataturk. Id you’d heard the lectures of Hilmar Kaiser you would know the real story which is that the same people behind the “Young Turks” that derailed Turkey’s bid for democracy and instead warped it to their own perverse intentions – are still very much in power. In fact even some of the families involved have passed this “philosophy” on and are running the government there. So no surprise that folks like this “Robert” can say (and worse – believe!) all kinds of nonsense about the Armenians and the Jews never having studied it and certainly never having been taught it in school. I have had Jewish business partners and dear friends for many years and worked closely with the design and research of the vast archive of survivor witnesses to the Holocaust and nowhere in any of those experiences did I ever hear mention of any collusion with the Nazis by Armenians and other such nonsense. There were many people who unwittingly bent to Nazi pressure in desperation for survival, including many Jews. History has ferreted them all out and the record  is public. In any case if there are Armenians among them they are in what would be called in statistics, the base norm. Nothing even close to what this “Robert” is suggesting as a popular campaign. Poppycock!!

  46. I am an American Jew and I find the JINSA position totally unacceptable and indefensible.  The posting does not even articulate a clear, let alone sound rationale for opposing formal US recognition of the Armenian Genocide.
    The Armenian-Turkish relationship is complex and torturous for both peoples…. working itself out on multiple levels and in different social circles; among professional historians of both cultural backgrounds, among individuals in dialogue groups, in the news media, in the body politic of Armenia, Turkey and their respective diaspora, and perhaps most awkwardly at the formal diplomatic level.
    JINSA is off-base and probably needs to focus on its own torturous relationship with Jews who disagree with its premises.

  47. Hello Editorial Board,

    YOU’VE DONE IT YET ONCE AGAIN!!! Please stop censoring and deleting me! It took me awhile to compose my post just the way that I wnated to express it. But, due to your terror and extreme fear that some of your readers may actually learn something commonly refered to as the TRUTH, you find it necessary to censor me, and God knows how many who simply wanted to voice their opinion in a civillized and professional manner! BTW, your racism is showing just a tad!! Have a good day :-)
     

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