by Peter Lyukimson, Israel. Exclusively for VK
Israel is surprised at the “adjustment” made by Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian in his reaction to recent statements by his Israeli counterpart Avigdor Lieberman, who stated that Israel was not ready to recognize the Armenian Genocide of 1915. Lieberman made a statement in an interview with RTVi on February 4. “Israel has not accepted the term “Holocaust” for any other war or other tragedy since its foundation. We believe that what the Jewish people went through during World War II is incomparable with anything. Attempts to turn other conflicts and massacres in Africa, Asia and Balkans into another Holocaust via terminology is unacceptable”, the Israeli foreign minister said. Lieberman noted that “not a single state, apart from France, has recognized the Armenian Genocide”. The minister says that “today, an historical event turned into a political dispute, that is why I do not believe that Israel needs to interfere in the problem”.
Reacting to Lieberman’s statement, Nalbandian remarked that the term “Holocaust” has never been used to define the Armenian Genocide. He said that the tragedy in the Ottoman Empire of 1915 has always been called a genocide by Armenians. “The Armenian Genocide is characterized by the term genocide,” the Armenian foreign minister emphasized.
A high-ranking Knesset official said that Armenia was probably misinterpreting Lieberman’s words. Their point was that no serious Israeli politician was ready to play with such terms as “genocide” and “Holocaust” and so on. Israel believes that no event in the 20th century, except the mass massacres of Jews in World War II, could fall under the term, regardless of how tragic it may have been.
The source concludes that “Lieberman was not against any term, but was against attempts to equate the tragic events in 1915 with the catastrophe of the Jews, which has often been attempted by world and Israeli politicians. Our position on this issue has been unchanged for many years”.
