ARMENIAN GENOCIDE NEWS
UN HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL ADOPTS ARMENIAN RESOLUTION PREVENTION OF GENOCIDE
PanARMENIAN.Net
28.03.2008 18:19 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ On March 28, the UN Human Rights Council adopted
a resolution On Prevention of Genocide introduced by Armenia, the RA
MFA press office reported.
The document is the continuation of Armenia-initiated proposals on
genocide early prevention and early warning signs.
Armenia states that crime committed through ethnic, racial and national
hatred are crime against humanity.
Mechanisms for prevention and punishment of genocide perpetrators
should be worked out on the basis of UN Convention.
Armenia proposed discussions of the resolution in UN structures,
countries, non-governmental organizations.
According to RA permanent representative to the UN Zohrab Mnatsakanyan,
prevention of genocides and adoption of the resolution points out to
the international community's moral responsibility before the memory
of genocide victims.
The resolution was approved by 58 states, including all EU member
countries, Australia, Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Norway and others.
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ISRAELI PARLIAMENT TO DISCUSS ARMENIAN GENOCIDE
ARKA
March 27, 2008
YEREVAN, March 27. /ARKA/. The Knesset of Israel decided to discuss the
issue of the Armenian genocide. The motion to put the issue on agenda
has been made by the leader of Socialistic Party "Merets" Haim Oron.
All 11 deputies of the parliament present at the sitting, including
Agriculture Minister Shalom Simkhon, supported the motion.
Simkhon used "tragedy" instead of "genocide", yet confirmed that
"everybody knows the history; hence the issue needs to be put on
he agenda".
"Israel was trying to be an intermediary between Armenia and Turkey,
but the attempts produced no results," the government member said.
After the positive decision of the Knesset it will be decided which
parliament commission is going to consider the issue. Supposedly,
it will be the commission for education. On March 14 2007 Israeli
Parliament turned down discussion of the Armenian issue.
Armenian genocide was the first genocide committed in XX
century. Turkey rejects the accusation of massacres and the killing
of one and a half million Armenians were killed during World War I.
The fact of the Armenian genocide is recognized by many countries,
particularly by Uruguay, Russia, France, Lithuania, most of the
U.S. states, as well as by the parliaments of Greece, Cyprus,
Argentina, Belgium, Wales, National Council of Switzerland, Common
House of Canada, the Seym of Poland and lower house of Italian
parliament.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
ARKA
March 27, 2008
YEREVAN, March 27. /ARKA/. The Knesset of Israel decided to discuss the
issue of the Armenian genocide. The motion to put the issue on agenda
has been made by the leader of Socialistic Party "Merets" Haim Oron.
All 11 deputies of the parliament present at the sitting, including
Agriculture Minister Shalom Simkhon, supported the motion.
Simkhon used "tragedy" instead of "genocide", yet confirmed that
"everybody knows the history; hence the issue needs to be put on
he agenda".
"Israel was trying to be an intermediary between Armenia and Turkey,
but the attempts produced no results," the government member said.
After the positive decision of the Knesset it will be decided which
parliament commission is going to consider the issue. Supposedly,
it will be the commission for education. On March 14 2007 Israeli
Parliament turned down discussion of the Armenian issue.
Armenian genocide was the first genocide committed in XX
century. Turkey rejects the accusation of massacres and the killing
of one and a half million Armenians were killed during World War I.
The fact of the Armenian genocide is recognized by many countries,
particularly by Uruguay, Russia, France, Lithuania, most of the
U.S. states, as well as by the parliaments of Greece, Cyprus,
Argentina, Belgium, Wales, National Council of Switzerland, Common
House of Canada, the Seym of Poland and lower house of Italian
parliament.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
12-VOTE SURPRISE IN ISRAELI KNESSET
Fulya Ozerkan
Turkish Daily News
March 28 2008
Turkey
Turkey engages in diplomatic efforts with the Israeli government and
the Foreign Ministry to block the genocide initiative, and is assured
that the motion will die in the Israeli panel before reaching the
full parliament floor.
The Israeli parliament, or Knesset, decided Wednesday to hold an
unprecedented debate over the killings of Armenians at the hands of
the Ottoman Empire during World War I, confirmed an Israeli diplomat.
The move was led by Israel's left wing Meretz leader, Haim Oron,
who calls for the Jewish state's recognition of Armenian genocide
allegations. The parliamentary debate will first take place in the
Knesset's education or foreign affairs and defense committee and
later may be forwarded to the General Assembly for a final vote.
"It is not a decision of the Israeli government. The policy and the
attitude of the government and the state of Israel toward this issue
remain as it is: Israel thinks it is the job of historians to determine
exactly what happened in the past between the Turks and Armenians,"
the Israeli diplomat speaking on condition of anonymity told the
Turkish Daily News.
Although the members of the left wing party come up with similar
motions every year ahead of April 24, the day of commemoration of
Armenian deaths, it is the first time that the genocide claims will
be opened to debate in an Israeli parliamentary committee.
"In the committee, the government of Israel is going to use its power
and vote according to its policy," said the diplomat.
The vote will not be on the recognition or non-recognition of the
genocide claims but on whether it will be discussed in the General
Assembly, he noted. "It is all preliminary discussions about a
possible decision."
Turkey assured motion will die
Turkey described the move a "fait accompli" that came at a time when
only 12 lawmakers were present in the 122-seat Knesset. Among them
only one deputy - Agriculture Minister Shalom Simhon - was representing
the Israeli government, learnt the TDN.
Simhon explained the Israeli position during the session and said
Israel is not interested in taking a side but he did not oppose the
proposal considering his objection would not change the result given
the other 11 in favor.
Turkey engaged in diplomatic efforts both at the level of the Israeli
government and the Israeli Foreign Ministry to bloc the initiative.
"We were assured [by Israel] that the motion will die in the committee
before reaching the Assembly floor," said a Turkish diplomat. "Israel
is fully aware that relations will be seriously harmed otherwise."
The Israeli diplomat emphasized that Israel understood the sensitivity
of Turkey on the Armenian question and reiterated that the Israeli
government would "walk according to its lines and also convince
members of the Knesset to vote down the motion."
"The Turkish government and the Foreign Ministry know very well the
position of the Israeli government," he said.
There are 5,000 Armenians living in Israel. The Armenian diaspora has
been lobbying for the recognition of genocide claims by the parliaments
of the countries where Armenians reside. A number of parliaments
have so far passed genocide resolutions. Turkey believes it is an
issue that should be decided not by politicians but historians and
calls for a joint committee with Armenia to study the allegations,
a proposal that has not received a response from Yerevan.
Fulya Ozerkan
Turkish Daily News
March 28 2008
Turkey
Turkey engages in diplomatic efforts with the Israeli government and
the Foreign Ministry to block the genocide initiative, and is assured
that the motion will die in the Israeli panel before reaching the
full parliament floor.
The Israeli parliament, or Knesset, decided Wednesday to hold an
unprecedented debate over the killings of Armenians at the hands of
the Ottoman Empire during World War I, confirmed an Israeli diplomat.
The move was led by Israel's left wing Meretz leader, Haim Oron,
who calls for the Jewish state's recognition of Armenian genocide
allegations. The parliamentary debate will first take place in the
Knesset's education or foreign affairs and defense committee and
later may be forwarded to the General Assembly for a final vote.
"It is not a decision of the Israeli government. The policy and the
attitude of the government and the state of Israel toward this issue
remain as it is: Israel thinks it is the job of historians to determine
exactly what happened in the past between the Turks and Armenians,"
the Israeli diplomat speaking on condition of anonymity told the
Turkish Daily News.
Although the members of the left wing party come up with similar
motions every year ahead of April 24, the day of commemoration of
Armenian deaths, it is the first time that the genocide claims will
be opened to debate in an Israeli parliamentary committee.
"In the committee, the government of Israel is going to use its power
and vote according to its policy," said the diplomat.
The vote will not be on the recognition or non-recognition of the
genocide claims but on whether it will be discussed in the General
Assembly, he noted. "It is all preliminary discussions about a
possible decision."
Turkey assured motion will die
Turkey described the move a "fait accompli" that came at a time when
only 12 lawmakers were present in the 122-seat Knesset. Among them
only one deputy - Agriculture Minister Shalom Simhon - was representing
the Israeli government, learnt the TDN.
Simhon explained the Israeli position during the session and said
Israel is not interested in taking a side but he did not oppose the
proposal considering his objection would not change the result given
the other 11 in favor.
Turkey engaged in diplomatic efforts both at the level of the Israeli
government and the Israeli Foreign Ministry to bloc the initiative.
"We were assured [by Israel] that the motion will die in the committee
before reaching the Assembly floor," said a Turkish diplomat. "Israel
is fully aware that relations will be seriously harmed otherwise."
The Israeli diplomat emphasized that Israel understood the sensitivity
of Turkey on the Armenian question and reiterated that the Israeli
government would "walk according to its lines and also convince
members of the Knesset to vote down the motion."
"The Turkish government and the Foreign Ministry know very well the
position of the Israeli government," he said.
There are 5,000 Armenians living in Israel. The Armenian diaspora has
been lobbying for the recognition of genocide claims by the parliaments
of the countries where Armenians reside. A number of parliaments
have so far passed genocide resolutions. Turkey believes it is an
issue that should be decided not by politicians but historians and
calls for a joint committee with Armenia to study the allegations,
a proposal that has not received a response from Yerevan.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
KNESSET DECISION TO DISCUSS ARMENIAN GENOCIDE WAS QUITE PREDICTABLE
PanARMENIAN.Net
28.03.2008 13:21 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The Israeli-Turkish relations leave much to be
desired in recent times. In this view, Knesset's decision to discuss
the Armenian Genocide issue was quite predictable, Director of the
Institute of Oriental Studies at the RA Academy of Sciences, Dr Ruben
Safrastyan told a PanARMENIAN.Net reporter.
"With Islamists coming to power, Turkey is experiencing reconsideration
of the Middle East policy, especially relations with Israel," he said.
"The crack in relations emerged in 2006, during the Israeli-Lebanese
collisions. The initiative of Israeli MPs might be also linked to the
activity of the Jewish organizations in the United States. Even if
Knesset votes the motion down, it will do good. The more people speak
about the necessity to recognize the Armenian Genocide, the better."
On March 26, the Knesset decided that a parliamentary committee
will discuss whether to recognize the World War I-era mass murder of
Armenians by the Ottoman Empire as Genocide.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
PanARMENIAN.Net
28.03.2008 13:21 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The Israeli-Turkish relations leave much to be
desired in recent times. In this view, Knesset's decision to discuss
the Armenian Genocide issue was quite predictable, Director of the
Institute of Oriental Studies at the RA Academy of Sciences, Dr Ruben
Safrastyan told a PanARMENIAN.Net reporter.
"With Islamists coming to power, Turkey is experiencing reconsideration
of the Middle East policy, especially relations with Israel," he said.
"The crack in relations emerged in 2006, during the Israeli-Lebanese
collisions. The initiative of Israeli MPs might be also linked to the
activity of the Jewish organizations in the United States. Even if
Knesset votes the motion down, it will do good. The more people speak
about the necessity to recognize the Armenian Genocide, the better."
On March 26, the Knesset decided that a parliamentary committee
will discuss whether to recognize the World War I-era mass murder of
Armenians by the Ottoman Empire as Genocide.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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