Last night there were big demonstrations in front of the Turkish embassy in Tel Aviv. The demonstrators were expressing their strong support of Israeli actions on the Freedom flotilla and some of the banners read "Remember the Armenian Genocide."
Already some voices emerge in Israel and even in Turkey that Israel will use the Armenian genocide as one of the weapons to fight Turkish propaganda. Israel had so far refrained from recognizing the Armenian genocide and according to some reports, had supported the Turkish Lobby in Washington from preventing the United States Congress to recognize the events of 1915 in Ottoman Turkey as Genocide.
Now this may change as Turkey presses Israel on human rights. Israel now basically tells Turkey "Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?"
Today a prominent Journalist from CNN Turk Mehmet Ali Birand spoke of Israel possibly using the Armenian Genocide as a possible retaliation against Turkey. Birand said Turkey should be ready to fight an increasing number of countries recognizing the Armenian genocide. According to him Israel will recognize the genocide and will lobby for the US to recognize the events as genocide. Birand said it will be helpful if Turkey prepares for that from this very moment.
In another development Dr. Arash Irandoost published a very interesting story about Turkish Israeli relations called An Open Letter to Turkey. It has very revealing references about the Armenian issue and the issue of the minorities in Turkey.
Here are some quotes from Dr. Irandoost's open letter. "And when a country that persecutes its Kurdish, Assyrian and Armenian citizens, treat Iranian refugees like 3rd class citizens and hands them over to IRI thugs at every opportunity, and works tirelessly to appease a criminal regime, she must remember that we will not forget her erroneous ways."
In another paragraph Dr. Rash echoes Mr. Birand writing about the scrutiny that Turkey now must be ready to undergo for the Armenian Genocide. "You say you want an international investigation into the flotilla raid? Sure. Right after you allow an international investigation into that minor matter of Armenian genocide that you've been ducking for quite a while. As the new "standard bearer" in fighting for human rights, I'm sure you will agree that it's only fair that Turkey should undergo the same scrutiny it demands for other countries," Irandoost writes.
Then Irandoost goes on and blames Turkey saying its entire land is stolen from Armenians, and other minorities. "You talk about stolen land, when your entire country is stolen land, from Cyprus to Istanbul. Your regime is a racist illegitimate entity based on the oppression of the Kurds, the Armenians, the Assyrians, Iranians, and numerous others," he writes.
Speaking of unilateral blockade of Gaza, Irandoost raises the question of Turkey's unilateral blockade of Armenia. For 16 years Turkey has blockaded Armenian border in support of Azerbaijan. Turkey did not even respect the protocols it signed with Armenia a year ago in Zurich aimed at normalizing relations with its North Eastern neighbor. "But of course we know how strongly you feel about blockades. Like the time you blockaded Armenia for Sixteen Years. Very well then. If you insist on sending vessels flying the Turkish flag to aid Hamas, perhaps Israel should begin sending tanks flying the Israeli flag to aid the PKK," Irandoost continues.
It is good that now Israeli humanists wake up and start respecting justice in regard to Armenian genocide after denying for so many decades fearing not to spoil relations with its only ally in the region Turkey. However, it is sad that historical justice is not recognized because it is the truth, but because it suits political agenda.
As long as we keep violating the truth because i suits the political agenda we will never have justice or stability in the region. Israel should recognize the Armenia genocide because that is the historical truth and because no one wants the repetition of it, but not because the political environment is suitable for the recognition of the Armenian genocide now after the strain in the relations between Turkey and Israel.
Written by Armen Hareyan
HULIQ.com
it's too bad that justice is done because of politics
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Comments
#1 Dear Armenian brothers, even
Dear Armenian brothers,
even if our Israeli government has not yet recognised the Genocide, the Israeli public ALWAYS has. Even in the quiet times of "friendship" with Turkey, it was never ever a contested issue.
When we walk through the Old City of Jerusalem and pass through the Armenian Quarter, we always see the posters honouring the victims on the walls and it never leaves us untouched. It reminds us of our own history.
Lets hope that neo-ottomanism will not manage to raise too much its ugly head!
#2 Turkey's unpalatable
There is never any excuse for the proliferation of Islamist regimes using humanitarian guises! How long will this deception continue and when will the world wake up to the deception.
In the second instance, it is disappointing to see that the Assyrian element is left out of the 1915-1918 massacres - the Genocide claimed nearly 2/3 of their population with a body count totalling in the vicinity of 6-700 000 dead.
This is what Turks have to say about humanitarian issues, they cry on one hand and victimise themselves, but they revel and take pride in Armenian and Assyrian lands...
Despicable!
#3 Zionists Do not use Armenian genocide to justify your murder
Armenian Palestinians are not an oxymoron, after all. My ancestors bones are not to be used to bolster your racist occupation which has also cleansed Palestinian Armenians.
I remember the siege of the Church of the Nativity where Israeli forces shot at Armenian monks.
I remember the seizure of Baron Der church by the Israeli occupation forces.
I remember Abe Foxman of the ADL and other apologists for Israel's crimes denying the Armenian Genocide.
The reason you see the Armenian Quarter is our historical presence ( pre-European Zionists Ashkenzi colonization which included the shelling of our monatery) there where we suffered a genocide, but lived with and among the Arabs in good relations ( as well as in Syria and especially LEBANON which you ASSAULTED killing tons of Armenians) . As well as Iran, where a large ethnically Christian population thrives alongside the ethnically Muslim populace.
I refuse solidarity with you or anything like you.
This is not a Turks versus Armenian issue: this is a very stark , bare obvious human rights issue!!
#4 Don't Be Jewed
Don't fall for the Jew-scam.
Jews don't give a damn about Armenians, or Turks, or Americans or anyone.
If you want to defend Turks, do so rationally, respectfully.
If you want to support Armenians, do so rationally, respectfully.
Behave like decent Muslims and Christians.
Don't let Jews set the terms of debate.
Don't follow the Jews' agenda.
Examine the Jews' role in promoting genocide, in destroying the Ottoman Empire, in promoting "Pan-Turania", in subverting, manipulating.
Jews are parasites.
Only a fool trusts Jews or makes allies of them.
And, by-the-way, the US "MSM" is the Jew-Stream Media.
#5 i was not aware
that the israeli government does not recognize the armenian genocide of 1915. i'm very disappointed. when hitler was asked how he could get away with exterminating the jews, his response was "nobody remembers the armenians". i know our jewish brothers know what happened. i guess i shouldn't be surprised that politics trumps everything else, when it comes to government. from the spineless u.s. i'm not shocked, but from israel, i guess i expected more...
#6 Politics
"However, it is sad that historical justice is not recognized because it is the truth, but because it suits political agenda."
To insinuate that Israel is recognizing the Armenian genocide because it now suits their political gender is a bit unfair. Everyone knows the only reason the Israelis have not recognized it in the past is for fear of alienating Turkey, supposedly a freind. Now they have no such fear, and are free to speak the truth.
#7 The Armenian genocide was
The Armenian genocide was done by crypto jews, why do you think Israel wanted to silence any remembrance of it? Any honest investigator will soon realize this.When the Zionists get control of a nation, they try to kill the intelligent and courageous people because that will leave behind a population of stupid and cowardly sheeple. Jewish communists killed 60 million in Russia.
http://secretjews.wordpress.com/2008/03/10/zionist-role/
#8 Tukey's recognition
We don't need Israel or any other country to recognize Armenian Genocide. It is a fact and can't be denied.
All we need is Turkey to recognize it then both nations can get over it. The harm has already been done nothing will change the past. We need to find ways of reconciliation.
#9 Reconciliation with Turkey..
Reconciliation with Turkey means the beginning of the end of Armenians. Furthermore, Armenia needs a strong enemy in order to advance.
#10 USS Liberty
When will Israel tell the truth about the USS Liberty?
#11 DO not confuse Jews/Israel with zionists: Zionism is bad for Je
Judaism/Jewish culture-yes!
Zionism/Israeli occupation-NO!!
#12 about the armenian genocide
i want to let all the armenians reading (I assume most o fthe replies are by turks or other haters of Israel) this article that on the street level in israel, there is no doubt what so ever - ISRAEL SHOULD RECOGNIZE THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE. I am ashamed that Israel didn' do it so far, but I am aware, just like armenians whom I met and spoke to over the years also know, Turkey was simply yoo powerful for Israel and always had this knife at Israel throat - recognize the genocide and we join your enemies....but now finally that last ties are being broken and Israel can finally do right thing
#13 Jews & Armenians
We, Armenians, really hope that Israel will recognize the Armenian Genocide.
Armenians and Jews share tragic modern histories in the Ottoman Empire and Europe, respectively, where they experienced massacres and genocide. The Armenian Genocide of 1915–23 destroyed more than half of Armenians, while the Holocaust exterminated two-thirds of European Jewry. Both of these disasters, and the decades of violence that preceded them, produced refugee populations as well as bitter memories of persecution and survival for both peoples. Armenians and Jews share the common experience of massive violence, trauma, survival, fight, and the attempt to reestablish a normal existence in strange new lands.
Yona Metzger, Chief Rabbi of Israel, recognized the Armenian Genocide during his visit to Armenia in November 2005.
In France, Jewish and Armenian organizations actively cooperate against genocide denial.
There are some fake Armenians here.
Please don't read their messages.
Greetings from an Armenian diasporan.
#14 The denial of Turks is shameful
Such an intence denial of the Genoside by Turks, makes all other nations realize that they are hiding something horrible,simply because they do.
Justice creates safety and the world should consider that.
I am very happy that Israel finnaly droped the fear, and ready to recognize the Genoside.
I strongly believe ,if we as people of the world ,demand responsobility for
the unnecessary violence, that killed over 1,500,000 people in a very nasty and cruel way, we can calmly rest in peace leaving a better world to our generations.
#15 If it had to take such an
If it had to take such an incident between Israel and Turkey to get the Armenian genocide recognized by Israel, then we don't need the Jewish recognition this way. The Jews should have been the first people as a whole and at the STATE level to have recognized the Armenian Genocide. After all, it was the Polish Jew, Raphael Lemkin, who coined out the term "Genocide" in 1945 I think, which he based on what happened to the Armenians few decades earlier. I think that it is a shame that not only has Israel not recognized it, but number of Israeli officials have worked to deter recognition of the Armenian Genocide, not counting the Jewish organizations in the US who have been number #1 obstacles for the US refusal to call the 1915 genocide as GENOCIDE. This is a shame and you would assume that at least the Israeli government could have been neutral on this issue, but they have done enough of their harm on the issue. Beides the Turkish hypocrisy of calling the Israelis to stop the 'Genocide' of the Palestinians when they have murdered millions of people, the Israelis themselves have acted as hypocritical as the Turks, so as far as I am concerned, both people deserve each other for all I care. I think that Armenians should stop their word-wide genocide recognition campaign and conentrate on the Treaty of Sevres and the Treaties of Kars and demand the lost Armenian territories (Western Turkey) through international law. That sure will make the Turks and 'others" shit their pants. This recognition campaign is simply a dead-end trap for the Armenians and will lead to no where whether it is the US who recognizes it or Israel. Only Turkey's recognition will move this issue forward, but then again there is no light at the end of the tunnel for this to happen, so Armenians should be smart enough and change their policy on this issue to a more productive ways in dealing with it. The lost Armenian territories should be the priority over any financial compensations.
#16 Genocide Recognition by Israel
The citizens of the United States and Israel recognize the Armenian Genocide. The only reason reason some of our politicians don't is the so called strategic importance of Turkey. Perhaps the U.S. puts pressure on Israel not to recognize the Armenian Genocide. Perhaps Israel had it's own strategic reason for not supporting genocide recognition (I note this is hard for most to understand given their own history). Most Armenian's have been sympathetic supporters of Israel. It's time for the Israel and the U.S. to recognize the Armenian Genocide. We must not deny genocide.....A proud U.S. Citizen of Armenian decent.
#17 We will all see how Turkey will back down from Israel
We will all see how Turkey will back down from Israel, since Israel can send Turkey back to the stone age in matter of week.
Turkey is like a big balloon that tries to fly with words no action, the day that Turkey sends naval ships to escort bombs to Hamas, that would be last day of Turkey as a nation. Balls in your court Turkey Chicken or Birdy make your move instead of begging help from the whole world that don't care about your stupit nation.
#18 To send Turkey back to stone age?
Absolutely!
Turkish premier's attitude in politics today reminds me of Chingiz Khan. That is disgusting.