June 18, 2005 - 12:35 AMT
ISRAEL DOES NOT RECOGNIZE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE TO PRESERVE UNIQUENESS OF HOLOCAUST
"There are two main factors that have made the state of Israel not to recognize the Armenian Genocide so far, and a large part of the Jewish lobby in the USA to take the same position", Kiro Manoyan, Director of Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF) Bureau's Hay Dat and Political Affairs Office stated during online interview initiated by OpenArmenia.com and PanARMENIAN.Net. "One factor is the approach that some segments of Jewish society have regarding the uniqueness of the Holocaust. I would say this is a traumatized victim's approach, that its suffering is unique. In essence, every genocide is unique. The second factor is that Israel and Turkey are strategic partners, so the State of Israel and a large part of the Jewish lobby in the USA have taken upon themselves to shamelessly serve the denialist cause of Turkey. Having said that, we should not accuse the whole Jewish people of this position. Because, a great number of Jews, and recently Jewish organizations, including political parties, do not agree with this denialist policy of Israel. A great number of Jews were not only witnesses (Ambassador Morgenthau), propagators (Werfel, Lemkin) of the Armenian genocide, but are also active supporters of the efforts today to have it internationally recognized. For example, recently in Belgium, almost the whole Jewish community, including the Bnai Brith, organized a demonstration supporting the inclusion of the Armenian Genocide in the law that makes denying such crimes a criminal offence", he said.