J'lem rally marking Armenian genocide
Photo: AFP
Recognize Armenian Shoah
Op-ed: With Turkey ties at nadir, time is right to finally recognize Armenian tragedy
For many years now, many Knesset members (mostly leftists for some reason) have been trying to hold the heated discussion on the Armenian holocaust and Israel’s recognition of it.
Yet somehow, at the end of the day, a senior security official always ends up explaining with authoritative calm that this isn’t the right time, that it’s none of our business, that we shouldn’t quarrel with the Turks, and that if only we wait a little more everything will be fine.
Yet there should be no question that Israel should recognize the Armenian Shoah. After all, there is no need to explain why we, who experienced a Holocaust unprecedented in the history of the world, cannot lend our hand to the denial of another Shoah (even though there is no need to view both tragedies in the exact same way, as regrettably our Shoah was much greater in scope and much more brutal.)
Moral duty
The question of what exactly happened there is irrelevant to this issue. After all, no sane historian is willing to accept the Turkish claim that it was merely a matter of a civil war and not a methodical massacre of the Armenians by the Turks.
The only question one can consider is why now? And the answer to it is that if not now, then when? If not at this time, when our ties with Turkey under Erdogan – who is doing everything in order to quarrel with and humiliate the State of Israel – are at a nadir, then when? After reconciliation takes place, if it takes place?
There is a story about a man who was so sick that his doctors told him that once he dies it will constitute an improvement for him. Similarly, our ties with Erdogan’s Turkey cannot deteriorate any further; what’s more, at this time he is preoccupied with his dispute vis-à-vis France.
Given the fact that recognizing the Armenian holocaust is a moral duty on our part, and also because at this time we have nothing to lose from yet another dispute with Turkey’s current and odd ruler, this is the time to take action. If not now, then when?
