ANC-International issues statement on Israeli Cabinet’s genocide recognition
On the recognition of the Armenian Genocide by the government of Israel
Today, the government of Israel unanimously approved the proposal of the country’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Gideon Sa’ar, to officially recognize the Armenian Genocide. According to reports, the draft resolution on recognition will now be submitted to the Knesset for adoption.
In his remarks, the foreign minister noted that similar initiatives had been introduced in the past but had failed to reach their logical conclusion.
The minister also stated that this was not an “act of retaliation” for the open hostility, along with the terrible rhetoric and the hostile actions of Turkey, under Erdogan’s leadership, toward Israel,” presumably referring to the justified assertions of not only by Turkey, rather by the significant part of the international community, that Israel is committing genocide against the Palestinian people in Gaza.
Considering the fact that numerous Jewish figures spoke out on this issue during the years of the Genocide as eyewitnesses, and later, as intellectuals, politicians and a political party (Meretz), called upon the state of Israel to recognize the Armenian Genocide, Minister Sa’ar is right when he says: “It is never too late to do the right thing. … This is both a moral and historical duty. And in my opinion, there is no strong reason to be avoiding it.”
If and when this initiative reaches its logical conclusion, and the Israeli parliament also approves the recognition of the Armenian Genocide as a matter of state policy, we will welcome that position, while at the same time reiterating Minister Sa’ar’s own reasoning addressed to Turkey — that such recognition “does not grant it (in this case, Israel) immunity from historical truths,” including with regard to its complicity in the crimes committed against the Armenian population of Artsakh.
At the same time, we expect that, having recognized the Armenian Genocide, Israel will assume its responsibility by supporting the preservation of its memory and combating its denial.
The recognition of the Armenian Genocide by Israel will not be due to moral reasons and empathy (even though genocide is what both peoples have experienced and share), but simply due to the emnity and geopolitical rivalry between Israel and Turkey – to “score points” and to “p##s off” the other side. Simple as that.
Some other countries which have recognized the Armenian Genocide, may have done so not only for moral reasons, but also to win the votes from the ethnic Armenian electorate, where they form a significant voter base. This should not be overlooked.
But Israel’s reason for doing so, is the most cynical and self-serving by far.
I am outraged! Israel has no right to recognize genocide while they are doing the exact same thing!
Please do not create a false equivalency here. Please see my comment towards the end of the comment section.
Pashinyan is furious. He is more turk than the turks.
Boghos Jermag,
It’s non of Pashinian’s business.
How can the official recognition of the Armenian Genocide by the state of Israel all of a sudden be an issue of morality today and not of politics after and over three-quarters of a century of the existence of the state of Israel yet Israel’s sense of morality be totally absent only a few years ago recently for arming a Muslim pseudo-Turkish Azerbaijani terrorist cesspool to ethnically cleanse Armenians from their homeland and to attempt to commit a second genocide against them with full military participation of terrorist Turkey against whom this Israeli move and newly-found epiphany is all about?
Since its existence, as far as I know, the state of Israel not only has never taken such a hostile stand against Turkey but it has actually helped successive Turkish governments, through its powerful lobby in US and secret agents within the US government, to reject resolution after resolution to acknowledge the Armenian Genocide. Ever since Turkey’s Islamo-fascist Er-dog-an took power and relations between the two began to sour over the holy land and the Palestinian issues is when Israel started to use the issue of the Armenian Genocide, like a political Ping-Pong, against Er-dog-an’s Turkey hostile to Israel. I think the seizure of the Turkish Mavi Marmara flotilla headed to the shores of Gaza code-named “Gaza Freedom Flotilla” and the killings of nine or ten Turks by the Israeli Navy on board the ship in 2010 was the main catalyst in major shift in their relations. In the last twenty years, with Turkey under Er-dog-an, Israel has used the Armenian Genocide, in one form or another, and its recognition as a tool to hit back at Turkey when the relations between the two soured and for calling them killer terrorists for their treatment of the Palestinians. But as soon as their relations was on the mend the Armenian Genocide issue was shelved and put on the back burner until their next round of hostilities. I am and have always been very skeptical about their intentions and sincerity!
@Ararat
Absolutely.
Not to mention, when Turkish-Israeli relations were chummy, until their falling out during Erdogan’s Gaza tirade at Davos in 2009, the Israeli lobby “vetoed” the passing of Armenian Genocide resolutions in U.S. Congress, when the first Armenian Genocide resolution was proposed in 1975 until 2009. It took another decade until the Armenian Genocide was finally recognized by U.S. Congress and two years later by the U.S. Presidency, after the Israeli lobby lifted its “veto”. And of course, Biden’s recognition of the Armenian Genocide, was not truly based on moral grounds, but to send a message to Erdogan, not to clash with U.S. (and also Israeli) interests in the Middle East and North Africa region.
And let’s not forget the Israeli government’s yearslong, ongoing attempt to expel the Armenians from the Armenian Quarter in the Old City of Occupied Jerusalem, and its total disregard for the daily hate crimes perpetuated against Armenian residents by ultra-religious Israeli citizens.
This “proposed recognition” also doesn’t protect the Armenian Lebanese, Syrian, or Iranian populations put at risk by Israeli — and U.S. — bombings and political maneuverings. Nor does it, as you say, make up for decades of institutional genocide denial. When the Armenia Genocide was actually happening, it was front-page news in the New York Times. Today, not all U.S. public school history textbooks even call it a genocide!
This act is so blatantly cynical it makes me sick
It’s all political, Israel which for so long had resisted recognition of the killings as a genocide, although did consider them to be a state sponsered killings , due to its desire to monopolise it’s own genocide and amicable relationship with Turkey. Needless to say it’s relationship with Turkey has soured despite being in cahoots to destroy Arktash. For Israel the holocaust is no longer the unifier or foil against censure and important to the people in the way it had been for decades since 1945 and something wiser Jews warned would come. Thus perhaps it is more relaxed about the holocaust legacy in Israel now is also a factor. Presumably this will allow an improvement in relationships with Israel. Indeed if the relationship between Turkey and Israel continues to sour it would be ironic for Armenia to see and put Azerbaijan in an awkward position. Also with the Gaza desolation, and Turkey taking a sanctimonious position about it, it can serve as a limited deflection against Turkey by Israel. Some Jews had always sought to highlight the issue but others from the era didn’t want to rock the boat regarding the welfare of Jews in the ottoman empire, there had been a view had Turkey not got away with it then perhaps Nazi Germany would have been more cautious and the holocaust not happened or in a much reduced scope although this clashed with those who saw the holocaust as beneficial to the Zionist cause, and the selfish aspect of suffering.
I welcome this recognition, late though it is, and it is more reason for the israelis to stop their murder of Palestinians and Lebanese. If the Armenian Genocide had been acknowledged and dealt with at the time there would be no holocaust or genocide in Gaza.
This is great news!
Bravo, Israel!
@reader
Except that Israel’s recognition of the Armenian Genocide is not due to any altruistic reasons. As I and others have pointed out in the comment section, it is a calculated foreign policy move by Israel. Other Armenian, and even Israeli, media and commentators have criticized it as a cynical move by the Israeli government.
Amen!
I do not think the Israeli Knesset has approved the recognition . If not, Israel is just playing games against Turkey.
God bless Israel and her people. God bless the Armenian people.
It’s a trap! Do NOT, for even one minute, believe in Israel’s “newly-found” sense of morality or justice – none exists. Do not buy this holier-than-thou lie, not one syllable of it. Oh, and by the way Israel, stop harassing the Armenian Quarter, since you’ve just discovered your own moral sainthood!
Thank you, Armenian Weekly.
However, this must be said.
Where are the apologies, reparations & a full accounting (documents & more) by Israel and the Jewish American lobby for their decades-long denial/diminishment of the Armenian Genocide and their working alongside Turkey to defeat Armenian Genocide resolutions in the US Congress?
Had Armenian organizations and Armenia ever done anything like this regarding the Holocaust … Israel and the Jewish lobby would be demanding our heads on a plate.
Yet we are demanding nothing. Wow.
I simply cannot believe that Armenian Americans and their friends are going to accept what is obviously an insincere and mere “recognition.”
Please read this widely published exposé : Hypocritical Jewish Organizations and the Armenian Genocide:
https://www.foreignpolicyjournal.com/2019/06/25/hypocritical-jewish-organizations-and-the-armenian-genocide/
Come on people, where is our courage and where are our organizations?
Thank you Israel.
@Lynne @Arman @reader
No offense, but you seem politically naive about Israel’s true intentions regarding the recognition of the Armenian Genocide, when you offered your congratulations. It is not out of any morality and empathy, why Israel is going to recognize the Armenian Genocide, but is simply a Machiavellian political motive. A resolution based on this, instead of genuine moral grounds, is hollow.
Please. Please stop the obvious antisemitism. It doesn’t help Armenia in any way. Almost every country that held back its recognition of the Armenian Genocide, did so for unjustified and hypocritical political reasons. We accepted their change of position. I am glad Israel has joined the nations recognizing the Genocide.
It’s also worth noting that Armenia had recognised Palestine in 2024 something this publication didn’t mention. Despite it being a change of long standing policy. Again the reason why Armenia had declined to recognise Palestine was again:- politics! and, some Armenians felt in doing so had brought isolation and alienation and kyboshed any chance of Israel recognising the killings as a genocide. Yet here were are now, after a ritual huff Israel accepted Armenia action and besides since then heavier hitters on the global stage UK and France have also recognised Palestine. Israel had indeed been cynical in demanding respect for the Holocaust but dismissive of the Armenian genocide and been a mercenary on behalf of Turkey in it’s lobbies especially in the USA stymying but that’s the way of the world.
Why are we surprised that an unfriendly country is using the Armenian Genocide for their political expediency?
We should worry more about our own country where the majority of the people voted to support the ruling party which has decided to remove the Armenian genocide from its foreign policy.
And what did we do about it on or around April 24th?
I can barely understand this statement; the warped sentences communicate just how much ANCA leadership is bending over backwards to avoid calling out the blatant hypocrisy of Israel’s “recognition” of the Armenian genocide while they are committing a genocide against Palestinians. Just reject Israel’s cynical, meaningless ploy, ANCA! You’re harming our morality and humanity with this spineless statement.
Apologies for recycling my response around this very active issue from another post, which was prompted by someone characterizing a comment that I had posted (“Better very late than never… I sincerely hope that the Knesset does the right thing”) as “naive.” Israel’s motivation, hypocrisy, cynicism or whatever aside, I fail to see why we cannot accept it without embellishment. In any case, here it is: “”Naive” would be conflating morality with realpolitik. Israel will always act in its own self-interest. Theoretically Armenia should also, but then Armenia is led by Pashinyan! So, no, Israel’s heart didn’t suddenly fill up with love toward Armenians. Nevertheless, it is the right thing to do especially as we’ve begged and pleaded for years to secure this recognition. It amazes me that some Armenians or supporters of Armenia would prefer to turn a cold shoulder rather than accept it simply because it is not driven by the purest of intentions.”
I agree with you 100 percent. As Armenians we are talented in many fields such as business, literature, science, music, architecture, but we are totally inept at politics and diplomacy.
There are many Jews of high ethics and conscience. They have been pushing for Armenian Genocide Recognition for years in Israel, but were rebuffed for by the transactional thinking of more powerful members of the Israeli government. Now, because of geopolitics, our Jewish allies in Israel are being listened to. The least we can do is thank those Jews who have been fighting for Armenian Genocide Recognition for years because they correctly felt it was the right thing to do.
And let’s remember that Erdogan is the most hypocritical of all. He continues to deny the Armenian Genocide of 1,500,000 people, aids Azerbaijan in ethnically cleansing 150,000 Armenians from Artsakh, then slams Israel for the Genocide they are committing. Yes Israel has committed Genocide in Gaza but the scope (100,000 people killed) is far less that what the Turks did. And the Turks motivation was far more barbaric, they simply wanted to brutally wipe all Armenians off the face of the earth and steal our land and identity. Israel wants to create a purely Jewish ethnonational state on all of what was once Palestine and are willing to use murder and oppression to accomplish their objective. It’s not right, but not nearly as hideous as what the Turks did and continue to do.
Numerous Armenian Genocide survivors and orphans ended up in Palestine who became citizens of British Palestine and “Palestinian” by nationality. Later many of those Armenians suffered in the expulsion of non-Jewish Palestinians after the British withdrew, losing their home/livelihood/safety again, during 1948, by Zionist militias, which also bombarded the Armenian Quarter in the Old City causing the death of Armenians who took refuge there. Jordan captured the Old City in what became East Jerusalem and expelled the Jews. Those Armenians became “Jordanian.” Later in the 1967, suffered again when Israel annexed it.
All the way from Anatolia and Western Armenia, foreigners becoming Palestinian and Jordanian, and they have now just realized there was an Armenian Genocide after decades of helping Turkey deny it? This article mentions more steps are needed to finalize it in the parliament, so why is the media including Israeli reporting this as recognition? Sure is going to be awkward if it doesn’t pass.