Armenian Community Leaders Meet with N.J. Congressional Candidate Josh Gottheimer

PARAMUS, N.J.—With a tight race anticipated in New Jersey’s 5th Congressional District, several community leaders recently met with Democratic challenger, Josh Gottheimer, at his campaign office in Paramus.

Josh Gottheimer (Photo: northjersey.com)
Josh Gottheimer (Photo: northjersey.com)

“It was good to have the opportunity to meet with Josh Gottheimer and to hear his positions on issues of concern to the local Armenian community and nation. We had the opportunity to exchange our top legislative priorities and to hear many of his. While incumbent Scott Garrett has been a close friend of the Armenian community since he’s been in office, it behooves our community to know where the formidable challenger stands on issues of great importance and to communicate that to our community,” community activist James Sahagian said.

New Jersey’s 5th Congressional district is home to one of the largest Armenian communities on the East Coast, a place where thousands of Armenian-American constituents call home.  With an active and vibrant community, the district has received strong legislative support from its current and past representatives over the years.  Following the meeting, Josh Gottheimer issued the following statement:

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One hundred years ago, more than 1.5 million Armenians and other Christian minorities, including the Assyrians and Greeks, were systematically massacred and deported during the Armenian genocide, also referred to as ‘Sayfo.’ As a Jewish-American who lost relatives in the Holocaust, I believe we must be vigilant and never standby while women, men and children are threatened by genocide. We must work together to ensure all people are allowed to live without fear of religious persecution.

As a Member of Congress, I will continue to honor the memory of those who were brutally killed and work to ensure these horrors are recognized and never repeated. I pledge to join the Armenian Congressional Caucus, and I will work across the aisle to expand stronger diplomatic, cultural, economic and military relations between the United States and Armenia.

In addition, I will also support the right of the Nagorno-Karabagh Republic, Artsakh, to live in security and freedom and will work with my colleagues to ensure the United States provides aid for projects, such as demining, child healthcare, and rehabilitation centers. The United States should play a constructive leadership role in supporting regional stability so that a peaceful solution to the Nagorno Karabakh conflict can be found, as well as work with our partners in the OSCE Minsk Group to deescalate regional tensions.

As a candidate for the Fifth District, I have been proud to meet with leaders in the Armenian community to discuss how Congress can advance peace and security for the Armenian people, and I look forward to working with them as a Member of Congress to achieve those goals.

Guest Contributor

Guest Contributor

Guest contributions to the Armenian Weekly are informative articles or press releases written and submitted by members of the community.

3 Comments

  1. I don`t believe a word what this guy said about Armenians , lately his adds are below the belt , I am sick of this guy.

  2. Since the N.J. Congressional Candidate Josh Gottheimer used the term Holocaust for the Jewish massacres and Genocide for the Armenian massacres. Not bad. and for that, let me congratulate and command the American-Jewish congressman to be. He has my full support for now. However, I have seen and heard many others who made big promises, and failed our trust when they got in. Examples are many. Is he going to fulfill his promises or follow in the steps of all others.
    What assurances do we have? This is the only question on every Armenian’s mind.

  3. This seems to conflict with ANCA endorsement of Garrett who has been a strong supporter of Armenian issues.
    Isn’t Gottheimer connected to Clinton?
    Is it the policy of local ANC’s to contradict ANCA policy, or to reject incumbents who have supportive of ANCA objectives?
    This seems counterproductive to a cohesive strategy. Does this make us look weak?

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