Representatives of the Armenian National Committee (ANC) of Massachusetts recently met with Steve Grossman, candidate for the Democratic nomination for Massachusetts treasurer, to discuss issues of concern to the Armenian-American community. Topics covered included Grossman’s support of Armenian Genocide recognition and what role the Commonwealth of Massachusetts could play in the economic development of the Republic of Armenia.
When the scandal of the Anti Defamation League’s (ADL) complicity in the Turkish government’s denial of the genocide broke in 2007, Steve Grossman was quoted on the front page of the Boston Globe calling on the ADL to reverse their shameful position. Grossman’s prominence in political and Jewish philanthropic circles played no small role in forcing ADL national director Abe Foxman to come to Boston and address the outrage that had, until then, been largely limited to New England and the Armenian community.
During the meeting, ANC representatives Dikran Kaligian and Ara Nazarian discussed the Armenian community’s outrage at aspects of the Armenia-Turkey protocols, including the establishment of a historical commission to look at 1915 and the ratification of the existing borders as well as the repeated attempts by Turkey to link the protocols to the surrender of land by the Republic of Mountainous Karabagh to Azerbaijan.
Grossman expressed his desire to assist in the economic development of Armenia and improve the standard of living of its population through the office of the treasurer of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The ANC representatives pointed out that the California Trade Office in Armenia could serve as a model for such assistance by establishing a similar office to encourage Massachusetts companies to trade and invest in Armenia.
Steve Grossman is chairman of Grossman Marketing Group in Somerville, a leading figure in numerous charitable organizations, and a long-time political activist. He has served as the chairman of the Democratic National Committee and the Massachusetts Democratic Party.
The Treasurer of Massachusetts is supposed to assist in the economic development of Massachusetts and only of Massachusetts.
Foreign policy is solely the responsibility of the federal government, according to the US Constitution.
I have in the past written to a number of FEDERAL politicians asking for US recognition of the Armenian Genocide. I am not unsympathetic to your cause, but getting a state official involved in foreign policy is unacceptable to me.