Author: Peter Lyukimson, Israel, exclusively for VK
The Knesset commission for culture, education and sports postponed a discussion on the recognition of Armenian Genocide until the next session which is yet to be announced. But it was clear even before the session started that supporters of Israel’s recognition of the Armenian Genocide of 1915 will ram through the decision.
Israeli Speaker of Parliament Reuven Rivlin said that such step would not make the crisis with Turkey more complicated. There are no pretensions towards the current government of Turkey or the one ruling 50 years ago. It is a matter of events that happened about a century ago. The speaker said that as a man of democratic Israel, he will put all efforts into recognition of the Armenian tragedy.
Lev Spivakov, Director General of the Association AzIs (Azerbaijan-Israel, believes that supporters of genocide recognition will use “heavy artillery”: Our ideological opponents have not only brought incumbent deputies of the Knesset, but former members for the session too, as well as their representatives, scientists. As a result there is a feeling that opponents of recognition of Armenian Genocide are a minority, although they include members of commissions, officials from the Foreign Ministry and the prime-minister’s advisor for security. But their speeches were purely emotional, they called for morale, conscience and etc., without giving any facts. Sometimes it seemed as though their phrases could be referred to any peoples – Jews, Uzbeks, Tajiks and so on. But at the same time, such emotional speeches were making the talks red-hot and increasing pressure on commission members”.
Political analyst Arye Gut and members of the AzIs authorities, Director of the Azerbaijani Cultural Center in Israel Igyan Salman spoke as opponent of the genocide recognition. Gut stressed on the idea that recognition of the genocide would not only escalate the Israeli crisis with Turkey, but also ruin relations with Azerbaijan. Salman attempted to convince that such decisions are not passed by emotions or moral concerns. Mentioning facts of the events in 1915, Igyan Salman said that decisions should be based on the facts, not conjectures.: “I believe that the issue of recognition or misrecognition of the genocide is out of the commission’s competence, as well as out of competence of any other commissions or political structures. It is a matter of competent and impartial historians”.
When time given to the session of the commission ended it was clear that not everyone had a chance to speak and not all points of view, including the special circular letter of the Foreign Ministry and other state structures of Israel, were heard. As a result, the commission refused to pass any decisions on the discussed issue and postponed continuation of talks until the next session which is expected to be especially intense.
