THE ISRAELI Knesset’s Education and Culture Committee on Monday held a three-hour discussion on the Armenian genocide by the Ottomans, the first-ever public hearing on the issue, which was attended by government officials and representatives of both the Turkish and Armenian communities.
Although no resolution was passed and the session took place despite the Israeli government’s opposition to the motion, members of the Knesset expressed a “moral and historical obligation” to support recognition of the genocide.
The Armenian genocide – in which 1.5 million died – happened in 1915 and Israel has been a state since 1948 so it is legitimate to ask why now, and whether anything will come of this new-found concern for the human rights of others?
For years it has been Israel’s policy to not only to refuse to recognise the Armenian genocide but to go out of its way to oppose its recognition by other countries. Most recently influential Jewish organisations in the US worked actively with Turkey to block recognition of the genocide by Congress. Where was the Knesset’s “moral and historical obligation” then?
Could the new-found concern for the suffering of the early 20th century Armenians have anything to do with Israel’s deteriorating relations with Ankara? The answer is that it has everything to do with that and very little, if anything at all, to do with solidarity to a race of people who suffered a similar fate to Europe’s Jews.
The Knesset’s move can only be described as a cynical political move to beat Turkey with the proverbial diplomatic stick, especially in the wake of France’s decision to have denial of the Armenian genocide declared a criminal offence.
Neither will Monday’s session accomplish anything. The Israeli government has made it clear that although it is currently at odds with Turkey, it would like to keep the door open for future restoration of ties with its former military ally. Recognising the Armenian genocide would likely be the last nail in the coffin, and not something Tel Aviv is likely to risk in the long term.
Of all the countries in the world that have recognised the Armenian genocide, Israel should have been among the first to do so. Gassings, cattle cars, concentration camps and death marches, for which there is credible historical evidence stemming from the Armenian genocide, are words that should invoke solidarity among Jewish people.
Instead the fate of 1.5 million Armenians has been ignored in Israel as if it never happened. Therefore from a moral and historical perspective, the Knesset discussion is too little too late, and truly meaningless because it was done for all the wrong reasons.
