Israel’s parliament has given the first go-ahead for a discussion on claims of Armenian genocide, a move likely to exacerbate the country’s existing tensions with Turkey.
| In reaction to the vote in the Knesset, the Turkish Foreign Ministry said the issue should not proceed any further. “We expect this attempt to bring no result,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Burak Özügergin said at a weekly press conference in Ankara on Thursday. In a vote on Wednesday, the Knesset decided to send a proposal calling for debate on genocide claims to the House Committee. This committee will decide whether the issue will be handed over to the Education Committee, as requested by the chairman of the left-wing Meretz party, Haim Oron, who tabled the proposal, or to the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, as requested by the government. The latter generally holds hearings behind closed doors. The proposal was passed with 12 votes in favor and eight against. “We ought to be sensitive and open to the sorrow of others as a nation with a history of experiencing genocide,” Oron said in a speech before the vote. Advocating the necessity of recognizing Armenian genocide claims, Oron said justice needs to be implemented. The Knesset in September of last year declined to discuss proposals for the recognition of the alleged Armenian genocide in the Ottoman Empire. Turkey, whose ties with Israel have been strained over Israeli actions in Palestine, rejects the genocide claims, saying both Turks and Armenians died as Armenians revolted against the Ottoman Empire during World War I in cooperation with the Russian army, which was then invading eastern Anatolia, in the hopes of creating an independent Armenian state. “Our position is clear, not only about the Israeli parliament but about all parliaments’ attempts to judge history. History should be interpreted by historians,” Özügergin said. Last month, Turkey recalled its ambassadors to Sweden and the United States after resolutions were passed by lawmakers in both countries endorsing the genocide claims. The two envoys were sent back, however, after Turkey received what it called “satisfactory messages” from the US and Swedish administrations. Turkey and Israel have been at loggerheads over the past two years due to Israel’s policies in Gaza. For many years the Jewish Diaspora was lobbying to block the passage of genocide resolutions in the US House of Representatives. Foreign Ministry Undersecretary Feridun Sinirlioğlu will be in Israel soon for discussions on bilateral ties. Speaking on behalf of the Israeli government, Environment Minister Gilad Erdan said Israel does not think it needs to judge what happened in history. Parliament Speaker Reuven Rivlin, however, underscored that this is not meant as a provocation against Turkey, while also emphasizing that it is not appropriate for the Knesset to ignore this. Speaking during discussions before the vote, Dov Henin from the Hadash party said it is necessary to be sensitive to the pain of other nations while adding that it is important to think of the ethical dimension of the issue despite diplomatic sensitivities Uri Orbah, from the Habayit Hayehudi party, asked deputies to display solidarity while expressing his support for the proposal. He added that the Israeli nation should learn lessons from the tragedies of others. Conversely, Robert Ilatov from the Yisrael Beiteniu party said the place to discuss this issue is not the parliament. Noting that they should not intervene in this and that they are not an international interrogation committee, Ilatov said the issue needs to be resolved between the two nations involved. |
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