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A coalition of Armenian, Jewish, Greek, and Kurdish Americans, gathered at Pennsylvania Senate candidate Dr. Oz’s headquarters to protest his refusal to recognize the Armenian Genocide and to call upon him to end his complicity in Turkey’s international campaign of denial, reports the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA).

Organizers of the protest included the Armenian National Committee of America national, Eastern US regional, and Pennsylvania local affiliates, Rabbi Shmuley Boteach – “America’s Rabbi,” – who leads the World Values Network, and the Hellenic American Leadership Council (HALC). 

“We are here today because as American citizens and descendants of the survivors of genocide, we refuse to allow a candidate to drag the U.S. Senate back into the days of denial,” stated ANC of Pennsylvania Co-Chair Lorig Baronian. “Denial is the final stage of all genocides – and also, sadly, the first stage of the next genocide – because it enables the perpetrators to escape culpability. This is what allows them to recur, and unfortunately, is evident today as we see similar atrocities being committed with impunity against the Kurdish minority of Turkey, to the Armenians of Artsakh.”

“Will we live silently as genocide denial returns possibly to the halls of the U.S. Congress? Will we be silent as one and a half million Armenians continue to be forgotten?” asked Rabbi Shmuley, who stressed the strong bond between the Jewish and Armenian peoples.  “The Jewish community and the Armenian community are not pushed together through the catastrophe of genocide, but rather through affirming similar values about the prevention of genocide. We are here today gathered on a small strip of a highway because the blood of 1.5 million Armenians cries out from the ground and we are their voice!”

“We are here today because the words ‘never again’ dare never become an empty slogan that is utterly meaningless, as it happens again and again. We are here today because 6 million Jews, whom the world ignored, whom the world turned away from, whom America barely allowed to come in, died in part because the world never cared what happened to Armenia,” stated Rabbi Shmuley.

In an inspiring opening prayer, Fr. Nerses Manoogian of Philadelphia’s St. Gregory the Illuminator Armenian Apostolic Church stated, “we thank you oh Lord, the giver of all goodness, who has kindly brought us together with our fellow Jewish brothers and sisters, two nations who unjustly endured the pains of Genocide and Holocaust at the hand of the Ottoman Turks and Nazis. Today and every day, oh Lord, help us to amplify your message of peace and justice to this world and especially to those who continue, even today, to deny a historically proven blatant act of savagery and terror – the Armenian Genocide.”

ANCA Executive Director Aram Hamparian highlighted Pennsylvania’s strong history of humanitarian assistance during the time of the Armenian Genocide.  “For those of you who don’t know, this state has a tremendous record on this issue. Back in the era of the Armenian Genocide, the leading citizens of Pennsylvania organized and raised, in today’s dollars, tens of millions of dollars to help save the victims of the Armenian Genocide… We’re not going to allow this state to be represented in the U.S. Senate, given that history, again by a genocide denier.”

Dr. Mehmet Oz’s opponent, Pennsylvania Lieutenant Governor John Fetterman, issued a statement in solidarity with the coalition of protesters.  “As a Pennsylvanian, I welcomed the long overdue U.S. government recognition of the Armenian Genocide by the U.S. House and Senate in 2019 and by President Biden in 2021. As a U.S. Senator, I will continue to support promoting public education about this atrocity,” stated Fetterman. “On the other hand, it is deeply disturbing that Dr. Oz refuses to acknowledge the Armenian Genocide. I support those out protesting Oz’s continued and disgusting silence on this. This is an important issue and Oz’s refusal to acknowledge it is both offensive and damning.”

The Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) national office, along with its Eastern U.S. regional and Pennsylvania local affiliates have teamed up with the Hellenic American Leadership Council (HALC) in running a grassroots campaign calling attention to Dr. Oz’s genocide denial.