ANC-International statement on Israeli Cabinet’s Armenian Genocide recognition

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 post ANC-International statement on Israeli Cabinet’s Armenian Genocide recognition appeared first on The Armenian Weekly.