On Oct. 19, Tablet Magazine published an article by Prof. Peter Balakian on the importance of Israel’s recognition of the Armenian Genocide.
In the article, titled “State of Denial: It’s time for Israel to rethink its rejection of the Armenian Genocide,” Balakian notes the irony of the collusion between Turkey and Israeli and Jewish diasporan groups in genocide denial.
Balakian writes:
“Given this long-standing record of Jewish engagement and intellectual achievement concerning the Armenian Genocide, and the deep ties between the two cultures—it would seem an organic thing for Israel to finally say: The game is over. The truth of history, the meaning of genocide, the importance of ethical memory is a defining part of Jewish intellectual tradition and identity. And, in the Armenian case, the two genocidal histories commingle in deep and historical ways…”
“The Israeli government could recognize the Armenian Genocide by honoring the words of the great founding genocide scholar Lemkin—a Holocaust survivor who lost 49 members of his own family to the Nazis. In August 1950, Lemkin wrote to a colleague: ‘Let us not forget that the heat of this month is less unbearable to us than the heat of the ovens of Auschwitz and Dachau and more lenient than the murderous heat in the desert of Aleppo which burned to death the bodies of hundreds of thousands of Christian Armenian victims of genocide in 1915.’”
The full text of the article can be read here.
Just so you know what this “Tablet” magazine may really be up to, I twice posted the following under Peter Balakian’s article, but Tablet magazine would not allow it to appear:
1. David Boyajian says:
Your comment is awaiting moderation.
Oct 19, 2010 at 8:55 PM
Fortunately, there has been progress in calling attention to the hypocrisy of groups such as the Anti-Defamation League (ADL).
3 years ago, Armenian Americans called on the ADL to stop denying the Armenian genocide and to stop working with Turkey to defeat Armenian genocide resolutions in the US Congress. As a result, the ADL’s
denials became international news, and caused a great deal of tension between Turkey and Israel.
In Massachusetts, more than a dozen cities, citing the ADL’s unacceptable stance, severed ties with the ADL’s so-called “No Place for Hate” (NPFH) program. The MMA (Massachusetts Municipal Association), which had co-sponsored NPFH, did the same.
This website documents most of the campaign: http://www.NoPlaceForDenial.com
The ADL has still not acknowledged the Armenian genocide. Its statement of August 21, 2007 was actually a denial of the Armenian genocide because it implied that the genocide was not intentional on the part of Turkey. That is, the ADL statement contravened Article II of the UN Genocide Treaty of 1948 which requires
“intent” by the perpetrator.
Please read the following documented record of certain other groups such as the AJC and others in their Armenian genocide denials (many of these articles are from Jewish media):
http://npfdinfo.blogspot.com/2007/10/press-kit-history-of-opposing.html
I could say a lot more but since my previous post was not accepted, I will now censor myself and leave things there.
I applaud David Boyajian on his work to pressure the National ADL to face its hypocrisy!
I also applaud Balakian on his piece submitted to an online Jewish newspaper, shedding light on Israeli and Jewish-American hypocrisy on the the Armenian Genocide recognition. I especially enjoyed the passionate exchange of ideas in the comments following the piece. I just wish Balakian had been more forceful in his exposition. Morally, Israel has no leg to stand on when it comes to its position on the AG. As for Turkey and Israel making nice-nice with each other for political expediency; a pox on both their houses!
And who and what is the Tablet? Did you notice how many articles on Turkey or Turkish issues can be found there. What’s up with that?