By KRIKOR KHODANIAN
During an interview with Armenian-American host Patrick Bet-David, Benjamin Netanyahu, responding to the question of why no Israeli prime minister had recognized the Armenian Genocide until now, said: “Well, here I am saying it now.” On that occasion, he also stated that “Israel’s parliament has adopted this fact.”
A response given by Netanyahu under such circumstances and in such a manner cannot in any case be considered acceptable or valid. On the contrary, it contains mockery of the genocide’s victims and an insult to the Armenian people.
First of all, it must be noted that Israel’s Knesset—the parliament—has never adopted the fact of the Armenian Genocide. Numerous attempts have been made to bring the issue to parliamentary discussion, but under government pressure it has been removed from the agenda.
Although many Jewish intellectuals and historians have demanded that Israel officially recognize the Genocide—especially since their own nation was also a victim of genocide and, as a result of that fact, received the world’s compassion and sympathy—official recognition has never taken place.
Over the past decades, Israel has considered its close cooperation with Turkey more important than the recognition of this historical reality. At present, Turkish-Israeli relations are going through their worst period due to events taking place in Gaza. However, this does not mean that a final rupture has occurred between them. Currently, the link is maintained through Azerbaijan, which supplies Israel with gas, purchases large quantities of lethal weaponry from that country, and uses them against Armenia. According to certain reports, Israel has military positions in Azerbaijan, from which it spies against Iran.
This politically motivated “recognition” is also unacceptable for another reason: for the past two years, Israel has subjected the Palestinian people in Gaza to bombings, displacement, and famine—taking tens of thousands of lives, including children. These actions bear the hallmarks of genocide, for which Netanyahu has been indicted by the International Criminal Court as a war criminal.
Taking all these circumstances into account, the Armenian people must reject Netanyahu’s hypocritical statement and return it to him without gratitude.
“MASSIS”
