Israel’s parliament agreed on April 29 to again consider a draft resolution recognizing the World War I era mass killings and deportations of Armenians in Ottoman Turkey as genocide. The Knesset decided by 12 votes to 8, with one abstention, that one of its standing committees will discuss the resolution and determine whether it should be put to a full parliament vote. Significantly, a representative of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also backed a parliament debate on the bill drafted by Haim Oron, the leader of the left-wing opposition Meretz Party. “It is appropriate that the Israeli Knesset, which represents the Jewish people, recognize the Armenian Genocide,” said Oron. “It is unacceptable that the Jewish people is not making itself heard.” The Defense Committee did not even vote on the Armenian Genocide resolutions in the past, despite clearance from the Knesset. It thus highlighted successive Israeli governments’ reluctance to antagonize Turkey, a rare Muslim partner of the Jewish state. The Netanyahu government did not back a parliament debate on Armenian Genocide recognition on the previous occasion, in May 2009. Commentators might link the apparent shift in its position on the highly sensitive issue to the worsening of Turkish-Israeli relations in recent months.
Friday, April 30, 2010
Armenian Genocide Bill Again on Israel Parliament Agenda
Israel’s parliament agreed on April 29 to again consider a draft resolution recognizing the World War I era mass killings and deportations of Armenians in Ottoman Turkey as genocide. The Knesset decided by 12 votes to 8, with one abstention, that one of its standing committees will discuss the resolution and determine whether it should be put to a full parliament vote. Significantly, a representative of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also backed a parliament debate on the bill drafted by Haim Oron, the leader of the left-wing opposition Meretz Party. “It is appropriate that the Israeli Knesset, which represents the Jewish people, recognize the Armenian Genocide,” said Oron. “It is unacceptable that the Jewish people is not making itself heard.” The Defense Committee did not even vote on the Armenian Genocide resolutions in the past, despite clearance from the Knesset. It thus highlighted successive Israeli governments’ reluctance to antagonize Turkey, a rare Muslim partner of the Jewish state. The Netanyahu government did not back a parliament debate on Armenian Genocide recognition on the previous occasion, in May 2009. Commentators might link the apparent shift in its position on the highly sensitive issue to the worsening of Turkish-Israeli relations in recent months.
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