Troubles with Turkey cause Jews to rethink Armenian genocide

Feb. 5, 2009

And now for an issue dear to my heart: Jews check Armenian genocide stance. Only fitting that one genocide survivor support another. However, the article is thin on proof of an actual movement. From the Jerusalem Post:

An official with a leading American Jewish organization told the The Jerusalem Post on Monday that a deterioration in Israel-Turkey relations might prompt his group and others to reconsider Armenian efforts to win recognition of the century-old Turkish massacres as genocide.

A bill that would ensure such recognition by the US, which was backed by Rep. Adam Schiff - a Jewish Democrat who represents a heavily Armenian area of Los Angeles - failed to make it to a Congressional vote in 2007. However, it sparked a row in the American Jewish community between those who sided with Turkey in an effort to protect Israel's political interests, and those who argued that Jews were particularly responsible for helping other groups block the public denial of genocide.

"No Jew or Israeli in his right mind will insult Turkey," the official told the Post. "But next time... they might not come to Turkey's aid or equivocate quite so much on the issue."

The Bush administration opposed the bill out of concern for what it would do to US-Turkey relations.

I’d like to add that even several Israeli politicians oppose recognition for the same reason.

The current blowup between Israel and Turkey comes amid expectations that the Obama administration will name academic and writer Samantha Power, an expert on genocide, to a key National Security Council post dealing with multilateral institutions. Power has been outspoken in labeling the Turkish massacre of Armenians genocide, albeit from outside the government.

Anti-Defamation League head Abraham Foxman - whose opposition to the Armenian genocide legislation in 2007 provoked widespread criticism - told the Post that as long as Israel maintained its diplomatic ties with Turkey, he saw no immediate reason to change his position on any future genocide resolutions.

"This is not a punishment or a reward issue - we don't change our position on what's right or wrong based on what people say," Foxman said. "The interests between Israel and Turkey continue."

Foxman also noted that he knew of Jewish friends who had cancelled trips to Turkey over Erdogan's comments, but described the Erdogan flap as a disagreement between "friends."

The Armenian community of some 20,000 in Israel has long lobbied the Israeli government to recognize the genocide. Several Israel scholars have taken up the cause arguing that of all people groups, Jews should express sympathy with genocide victims. But the issue hasn't taken hold in the political world. Three years ago, Knesset Member Yuri Shtern told me (noticing that my married name is Armenian) that he and Israel's chief Rabbi Yona Metzger traveled to Armenia and were fighting for recognition. Shtern--a fair and compassionate politician--has since died of cancer, however, and no one has taken his place on this issue.

On the other hand, it is rare for Israel to have strong ties with a Muslim nation and recognizing the genocide would risk their friendship with Turkey. But after the outburst of Turkish PM Tayyip Erdogan at the Davos conference, Israelis are starting to see just how far their friendship with Turkey stretches, or not. Erdogan stalked off the stage there on Jan. 29, calling Israeli Pres. Shimon Peres a murdered.

Since then relations ahve been strained with both sides trying to patch things. But trust has been damaged.

Turkey: “It’s not a business-as-usual relationship anymore,” said Cengiz Candar, a columnist for Radikal, a Turkish daily. “It’s a very uneasy sort of cohabitation in this region now.”

Israel: "He has burned all the bridges with Jerusalem,” said one senior Israeli official, who spoke anonymously to the NY Times. “He won’t be seen as an honest broker anymore.”

Turkey denies slaughtering 1.5 million Armenians beginning in 1914. Recognition of the genocide would mean denying Turkey's claims, thus ruining relations with the vast Islamic country.

To learn more about the Armenian genocide, of which my husband's grandparents were survivors, check this out: Armenian Genocide (http://www.armenian-genocide.org)