'Recalling Armenian genocide not attack on Turks'

Jerusalem Post ^ | 6-12-12 | GIL HOFFMAN

[SJackson]

Rivlin says Knesset discussion of murder of more than a million Armenians nearly a hundred years ago not political.

Knesset Speaker Reuven Rivlin said Tuesday that Israel has an obligation to remember the murder of more than a million Armenians at the hands of the Turks nearly a hundred years ago, but warned that the issue should not be turned into an attack on the Turkish government of today. The Knesset speaker made the comments at a Knesset discussion of the Armenian genocide.

Speaking a day before State Comptroller Micha Lindenstrauss was scheduled to release a report on Israel’s interception of Turkish ships bound for the Gaza Strip which led to a diplomatic crisis between the countries, Rivlin insisted that the discussion of the Armenian genocide was not politically motivated.

"We have an ethical obligation to remember that a million Armenians were killed. It is forbidden to make the issue political. Our charges are not pointed at the Turkish regime today. We must make our voices heard when other nations are targeted for destruction," Rivlin stated.

"Those who drafted the Final Solution for the Jews figured the world would be silent as they were when the Armenians were murdered. The Knesset cannot ignore this episode that is factual. We cannot forgive nations who ignore our disaster and we cannot ignore the disasters of others," the Knesset speaker added.

Meretz chairwoman Zehava Gal-On, who initiated the Knesset discussion, accused the government of Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu of using the Armenian tragedy to attack Turkey.

Gal-On stated the government should "finally recognize" the episode as a genocide and restore relations with Turkey by agreeing to apologize for the deaths of nine Turkish pro-Palestinian activists at the hands of IDF commandos during the May 2010 raid of the Mavi Marmara vessel, which was part of a flotilla attempting to break the blockade of the Gaza Strip.

"The Armenian genocide is not an opportunity for public diplomacy," Gal-On told the Knesset plenum, adding that "Israel is strong enough to apologize for the killing of Turkish citizens without it harming Israel's honor or its security. We don't need to choose between recognizing genocide and relations with Turkey. We can have both."

The Meretz leader stated that "the Jewish people who have experienced the worst Holocaust have an obligation to show sensitivity to the disasters of others."

National Union MK Arieh Eldad called on Turkey to recognize its responsibility for its "historical crime," which he said included children being "put into cellars and gassed." Eldad quoted Adolf Hitler as having said "who remembers what happened to the Armenians," when he was asked what the world would say about his Final Solution against the Jews.

Kadima MK Robert Tibayev was the only lawmaker to speak against Israel recognizing the Armenian genocide, saying that Israel should not interfere in the issue, but rather let historians, or an international body decide if there was a genocide.

Balad MK Saed Nafaa, a Christian, took the opportunity to accuse current Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan of being hypocritical by complaining about the atrocities being committed by Syrian President Bashar Assad against his people while he himself has killed dozens of Kurds.

[SJackson]

Middle East and terrorism, occasional political and Jewish issues Ping List. High Volume

If you’d like to be on or off, please FR mail me.

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[Olog-hai]

Since the Islamic government in Turkey is trying to deny the genocide, they deserve it being a forum on them and even their rule, especially their stance on Israel.

[E. Pluribus Unum]

In 1929 the Soviet Union established gun control. Between 1929 and 1953 20 million political dissidents were exterminated.

In Turkey gun control was established in 1915. Between 1925 and 1917 1.5 Armenians were exterminated.

In Germany gun control was established in 1938. Between 1939 and 1945 13 million Jews and others were exterminated.

In China gun control was established in 1935. Between 1948 and 1952, 20 million political dissidents were exterminated.

In Guatemala gun control was established in 1964. Between 1964 and 1981 100,000 Mayans were exterminated.

In Uganda gun control was established in 1970. Between 1971 and 1979 300,000 Christians were exterminated.

In Cambodia gun control was established in 1956. Between 1976 to 1977 1 million people were exterminated.

[Owl558]

In the 17-1800s guns were legal in the United States and a LOT of indians died. Not sure your point. Yes, totalitarian states are bad, everyone agrees.

One reason Turks bristle at the mention of the genocide is that, deep in their hearts, they know it’s true.

[USMCPOP]

I guess those Armenians just jumped off a high cliff like lemmings into the sea. Funny how those pesky folks do that. Must have got a noodle up their noses or something. Can’t talk about it, oh my!

[marron]

A million Armenians, and several hundred thousand Assyrians too. Several hundred thousand Greeks too.

It was a jihad not just against Armenians, but Christians in general. It was not a policy involving only Armenians but any non-Turk, non-muslim native population.

The Armenians were the largest group and hence suffered the largest death toll in raw numbers. But proportionally the others were also slaughtered like animals right alongside them.

[righttackle44]

. . . , but warned that the issue should not be turned into an attack on the Turkish government of today. The Knesset speaker made the comments at a Knesset discussion of the Armenian genocide.

The Holocaust was not the fault of the current German government, though there are Nazis still some alive in German, South American and the United States, as well as other places in the world, who participated in the killing of Jews. The Jewish and worldwide reminder is Never forget.

The Armenian Genocide remains alive in the hearts and minds of many in the Turkish government and society.

As a former consultant to a publishing company that published a book on the Armenian Genocide, I know that there are writers, politicos and others who would also want the world to Never forget the genocide, who are or have been threatened with death to themselves and/or their families for merely mentioning the atrocities. I believe that numbers have been killed by Turkish assassins for attempting to keep the Genocide before the world. It is a perfectly good thing to keep pressure on the Turkish government and it's people to not repeat the senseless slaughter of Armenians. (That slaughter included miles of crucified, naked Armenian women.)

[research99]

Let us not forget the great fire of Smyrna in 1922

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Fire_of_Smyrna

[SJackson]

As to Germany, gun control was a function of WWI, the Versaille treaty banned most private ownership, codified by the Weimer’s in 1928 with a lessing of restrictions and, of course, registration. It wasn’t the Reich. The 38 law, actually a decree, actually was a little more liberal than the 28 law. Of course from 33 on the Reich decided who could be armed. To the extent this comes up regarding Jews, as non-citizens since 33, they were already barred from owning firearms.

[lightman]

Ping

[ziravan]

I was stationed in Turkey in the early 90’s. Even before the radical regime took over, the average Turk considers this an attack on Kemal Ataturk.

The article is technically correct: it’s not political.

It’s personal.

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks SJackson.

[Eleutheria5]

Sure. They didn’t do it all by themselves. The Arabs helped, as did the Kurds. Just blaming the Turks would be the same as just blaming the Germans for the Holocaust.