Knesset to Discuss on Armenian Genocide July 5

Israel’s Knesset is to discuss the Armenian Genocide on July 5th (Photo: knesset.gov.il)

JERUSALEM (Marketwired)””An interview was held on June 28 with Dr. Yair Auron, an Israeli historian and board member of the Zoryan Institute, after an article was released by The Times of Israel, announcing Turkish and Israeli diplomatic rapprochement. The relationship between the former allies deteriorated in 2010 following an Israeli naval raid on the Mavi Marmara flotilla, killing 9 Turkish activists, including a dual American citizen. The ship was sailing to Gaza in breach of Israel’s blockade.

Turkey’s rapprochement with Israel comes at a time when Turkey finds itself in isolation with a breakdown of ties with Russia, Egypt, and conflict with its Kurdish minority, the turmoil in neighboring Syria, and the declaration of Pope Francis, on June 24, 2016, denouncing the ideologically twisted planned genocide of Armenians by Ottoman-era Turks, a century ago.

The following are the statements that Dr. Auron made in the interview:

“Israel refrained from allowing a public debate to have a free vote on the subject of the Armenian Genocide for fear of alienating the Turkish government, a key ally to Israel and the United States.

“On May 15, 2016, Jerusalem Post, reported that the Knesset speaker, Yuli Edlstein, had called on the government to recognize the 1915 genocide of Armenian people, by the Ottoman Turks, at a special debate on the subject in the parliament. ”˜It is no secret that Israel has taken too ambivalent of a stance on the Armenian Genocide,’ Edlstein said. ”˜There are many reasons, diplomatic and otherwise, for the Israeli stance being too hesitant and restrained, which downplayed the magnitude of the historical event. We Jews who are still suffering from the impact of the Holocaust cannot minimize the tragedy,’ he added.”