The Armenian genocide perpetuated by the Turks did happen, so why deny it? Why not simply admit it, apologize to the Armenians and the world and take their distance? I remember a friend's grandmother telling us what she and the few survivors of her family went through and belive me, it was like hearing a Shoa survivor.

I believe that it is the moral duty of Jews to speak the truth. I admittedly do not know much about the Turkish-Armenian issue. But if it is true that it was a genocide, then the Jews are morally obligated by their relationship with G-d to speak out against it.

Israel is prepared to take a lot of flak in order to maintain relations with countries that claim to be her friends. Turkey voted in favor of the infamous UN "Zionism is Racism" resolution in '75, and abstained when the resolution was repealed in '91 (Turkey's arch-rival Greece voted in favor of repealing the resolution). Yet, Israel kept its mouth shut for the sake of its relations with Turkey. Turkey's former secular PM, Ecevit, referred to Israel's actions as Genocide; the current government periodically refers to Israel's actions as 'State Terrorism'. Israel bit its lip and stayed quiet. But now, a senior Turkish diplomat openly warns of negative consequences if Israel does not 'use its power' to 'rein in the Jewish lobby' in the U.S. This is blackmail and, effectively, endorsement of t he claims of 'Protocols of the Elders of Zion'. Evidently President Peres let this one slide too, but for the rest of Israel, this slip of the tongue was a slip too far.

A couple of weeks back Abraham Foxman fired Andrew H. Tarsy, the ADL's New England director, after Tarsy defied the national group's policy and agreed to call the Armenian massacre genocide. Then Foxman re-hired Tarsy after there was a great outcry from American Jewish leaders including Holocaust survivor Elie Weisel. How can Foxman criticize Pope Pius XII for his silence ostensibly due to political reasons --- Pius was afraid of harming Vatican / German relations --- all the while Mr. Foxman is afraid of harming Turkish / Israeli relations? In other words, with Foxman, it is not about doing what is right but what is politically expedient. Let's not forget, Mr. Foxman strongly and very publicly supported the expulsion of thousands of wonderful Jews from Gush Katif and northern Samaria. Doesn't Abe Foxman has much to answer for?

Denying Armenian Genocide is immoral! Israel should help Turks to face their barbaric past, apologize to Armenians and to the world thus becoming a civilized nation.

If Israel were able to "rein in" groups like AIPAC and ADL, they would be deemed by some not just "puppets" but *agents* of Israel. There would be pressure to have them registered as lobbyists of a foreign country. That would be devastating to their independence and credibility. Turkey is out of line here. They're treating Israel like a subject nation. But then Muslims historically have thought it only right to lord it over infidel Jews.

The Turks should just admit it and appologize, like the Germans did to the Jews. Why keep this tension forever?

The unfortunate events of 1915 must be differentiated from those of the Ha-Shoah/ Churben. The killing of approximately six million European Jews during World War II, by Adolf Hitler, cannot be compared to the events of 1915 in the slightest degree. Such a comparison would be disrespectful to the victims of such merciless crime. The Ha-Shoah/ Churben was the product of a program of deliberate extermination planned and executed by the National Socialist regime in Germany. Men, woman and children were mercilessly murdered due to their religious belief. Whereas, the events of 1915 was the product of secessionists trying to break up the Ottoman Empire, that is the product of war. It was not because the Armenian population was Christian or because the Turks hated the Armenians. If such assertion had been true, then there should be no ethnic Armenians living in Turkey today. But, this is not the case. There is a sizable Armenian population in Turkey, which is flourishing and living happily together with their Turkish brothers and sisters. In addition, there are many issues regarding 1915 which has still not been resolved. Not only does the Republic of Turkey (the Successor State to the Ottoman Empire) reject certain facts pertaining to the events of 1915, certain facts are also disputed by a recognizable number of academics from other reputable independent countries. Whereas, the events of the Ha-Shoah/ Churben is well documented and it’s facts are not disputed. Now my Jewish brothers and sisters let’s let academics judge the events of 1915 and not “legislate” or “declare” history using political power. If we start “legislating” history, then this would lead to many other conflicts. We have enough conflicts as it is. Please, let’s not let the relationship between the Republic of Turkey and another country affect the relationship between the State of Israel and the Republic of Turkey. To do so, would be aberrant and morally wrong. Oh and in response to: #6- If having a history of aiding people in need such as Spains, Səfardi population is barbarism, then yes the Turks are “barbaric”. #7- I suggest you re-educate yourself regarding Turkish-Jewish relations!!! The Republic of Turkey was one of the first countries to accept the sovereignty of the State of Israel, despite the fact that such State was to be built on former Imperial Ottoman land. #8- Why bow to political pressure and accept something we didn’t do… We are a bunch of very honourable people just like you. If we do something we admit it, if we don’t, we don’t admit it, even if it means our lives are on the line! Long live the Republic of Turkey and long live the State of Israel! By a true Turkish Friend. L'Chayim

Well said, Ibrahim. My comments to another related story mirrored yours. But there is another points that seems missed by some, and confounded by others in their comparisons with the Holocaust. First, it is not the province of the ADL to get involved in this issue. Whether there was or was not a Turkish genocide of Armenians, I think that all readily will agree that the issue is contentious, with high emotions on both sides. Why did the ADL get involved in this issue at this juncture? The predictable reply by some is "How can Jews stand silent on this issue? Is it not akin to those, such as the Church, that stood silent during the Holocaust," they ask. Well, I must have missed something in the translation. The Holocaust was aided and abetted by many; while it occured, some actively participated, some who might have helped did nothing, and others stood silent. It is proper to ask that the aiders and abbettors be called to account. How is this at all relevant to whether the ADL now should or should not make statements in condemnation of events that occurred almost one century ago and which are totally beyond the purpose for which the ADL was established: to speak out against the defamation of Jews living in America? The ADL pronouncement on this subject was ill-considered, not required by humanitarian considerations, cannot be analogized to silence during the Holocaust, and needlessly embroiled Israel in a controversy which, for the most practical of reasons, ought not to have been fomented at this time.

Ibrahim, saying there is a "sizable Armenian population in Turkey, which is flourishing and living happily together with their Turkish brothers and sisters." seems to be skirting the issue. Also, just to remind you, the Nazis did not kill Jews because of their "religious belief". Quite the opposite, the Nazis did not care about religion, they practiced biological racism and targetted even Christians of Jewish ethnic origin. The Nazis also accused the Jews of being the middle-man between the Soviet Red Army and the Western Allied armies, to give a justification for the summary execution of masses of Jews by the Einsatzgruppen. Don't lecture us about our history, please. Sussman, your denunciation of the ADL is unwarranted. ADL had towed the Turkish line for the sake of diplomacy; it only changed its mind when Elie Wiesel directly challenged Foxman with the facts, making the ADL position appear increasingly indefensible.

Jake, my statement that there is a "sizable Armenian population in Turkey, which is flourishing and living happily together with their Turkish brothers and sisters”, does not skirt the issue but it in fact addresses the gist of such issue. According to the UN Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide: “Genocide means any of the following acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group, as such: (a) Killing members of the group; (b) Causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of the group; (c) Deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part; (d) Imposing measures intended to prevent births within the group; (e) Forcibly transferring children of the group to another group” Now had Turkey (The Ottoman Empire) intended to “destroy” the Armenian race “in whole or in part”, do you believe that there would be ethnic Armenians still living in Turkey since 1915. Had your assertion been true, then there should be no ethnic Armenians living in Turkey because they should have either fled the so-called “Genocide” or died as a result of it. Also, don’t forget that a number of the Imperial Ottoman Government staff were ethnic Armenians. Do you really believe that they would of provided their services to such government, if such government despised members of their race. Also Jake, we don’t need eyes to see that there was a religious dimension to the Ha-Shoah/ Churben! E.g. Had it not been for H.E. Selâhattin Ülkümen, a sizeable number of ethnic Turks belonging to the Jewish faith, inter alios would have also been sent to Auschwitz from the Island of Rhodes.

Since the ADL is going on a fishing expedition to recognize ALL the worlds so-called “atrocities”, because it is a newly realized moral duty of theirs, I just hope that they also follow with the recognition of the atrocities committed by the Republic of Armenia against the Azeri Turks in 1992 and the atrocities committed by the Serbian and Yugoslav Militaries against the Kosovo Muslim population!! Oh, and also the atrocities committed by the French in Algeria. Where was the ADL when these events were unfolding? Didn’t they have a moral duty then? Oh, I forgot the aforementioned events do not have any political ramifications and hence are worthless in pursing. Whereas, on the other hand the “Armenian” issue is a good way of blackmailing the Republic of Turkey! I just hope it’s not a strategic way of watering down Turkish-Jewish relations! This would be a waste, after centuries of brotherly relations! PLEASE DO NOT FORGET THAT THE ONLY ALTERNATIVE TO CO-EXISTENCE IS CO-DESTRUCTION…. LETS INSTEAD OF CONFRONTATION SEEK RECONCILIATION AND MOVE ON… שָׁלוֹם