Zehava Galon, ‘‘It is our moral duty to remember genocide of Armenian people’’
"On Wednesday, April 24, a special debate will be held in the Knesset, timed to the Day of Remembrance of the Armenian Genocide Victims. Meretz faction is the initiator of the debate," Israeli news portal “Newsru.co.il” reports.
As it is stated in the article, in this concern, Zahava Galon, the leader of the faction Meretz, said, "It is our moral duty to remember the genocide of the Armenian people. The recognition of the horrors of the past should not affect our current relations with Turkey by anyhow. It is a question of strategic importance for Israel's international relations. Despite the unwillingness of Turkey to recognize the genocide of the Armenian people, we must clear up: Israel has no intention to seek confrontation in our relations by recognizing this historical fact."
The topic of Armenian Genocide committed by the Ottoman Empire and necessity of its recognition by Israel has been repeatedly raised in the Knesset. However, no decisions on this matter have been taken, the article reads.
In December 2011, a survey held by the editorial office “Newsru.co.il”, showed the increase of the number of readers who support the decision on recognizing the Armenian Genocide committed by the Ottoman Empire, even if it costs breaking Israel's relations with Turkey. 84% answered yes to the question "Should Israel recognize the mass killings of Armenians in Turkey during the 1915 as Genocide?". In the same time, 72% answered yes to the question "Should Israel recognize the Armenian Genocide, even at the cost of breaking the relations with Turkey?" Only 22% believed that Turkey could be persuaded to recognize the Armenian genocide. More than 90% of respondents agreed with the view that the people of Israel, who survived their own catastrophe, have no right to deny the catastrophe of other nations.
The short summary of “Newsru.co.il” of the Armenian Genocide in the Ottoman Empire reads: "On April 24 Armenians mark the anniversary of the Armenian Genocide in committed by the Ottoman Turkey in 1915. It was on this day that mass arrests of the Armenian intellectual, religious, economic and political elite started in Constantinople. In the list to be arrested were people of different political views and professions: writers, artists, musicians, teachers, doctors, lawyers, journalists, businessmen, politicians and religious leaders. From 1915 to 1923 about 1.5 million Armenians were killed.
The Armenian Genocide was recognized by Russia, France, Canada, Lebanon, Uruguay, Cyprus, Argentina, Greece, Belgium, Sweden, Slovakia, the Netherlands House of Representatives, the National Council of Switzerland, the Vatican, the lower house of the Italian parliament, Germany, Lithuania, Seim of Poland, Sweden, as well as a number of U.S. states and the International Committee of the U.S. Congress."