Met with Israel’s President, and Spoke at Armenian Genocide Conference

November 11, 2015 By administrator

BY HARUT SASSOUNIAN

Last week I spoke at the first conference on the Armenian Genocide in Israel, gave a lecture at the Armenian Patriarchate in Jerusalem, and attended a meeting with Israel’s President Reuven Rivlin.

Pres. Rivlin was a staunch supporter of Armenian Genocide recognition while he was Chairman of the Knesset (parliament). As President, he is now more circumspect, not wishing to contradict his government’s reprehensible silence regarding the Armenian Genocide. However, during his meeting with the scholars attending the genocide conference last week, Pres. Rivlin left no doubt that his position on the Armenian Genocide has not changed. He even used the term “Armenian Genocide” during the meeting. He also recalled his speech at the UN General Assembly earlier this year in which he specifically referenced the Armenian Genocide.

I reminded Pres. Rivlin that over two dozen countries have already recognized the Armenian Genocide and that Israel should also acknowledge it simply because it is the right thing to do! I expressed the hope that with his continued support Israel would complete ‘the missing page’ of my book which lists the countries that have recognized the Armenian Genocide!

I then handed Pres. Rivlin my book, “The Armenian Genocide, The World Speaks Out: 1915-2015, Documents & Declarations,” a copy of the speech I delivered at the conference, and my newspaper, The California Courier.

The Armenian Genocide conference was organized By Prof. Yair Auron and the Department of Sociology, Political Science and Communication at The Open University of Israel. Among the distinguished speakers were: Jacob Metzer, President of The Open University of Israel; Prof. Yair Auron; Prof. Israel Charny; Prof. Elihu Richter; Prof. Dina Porat, Chief Historian of Yad Vashem; Dr. Stefan Ihrig, author of “Ataturk in the Nazi Imagination”; Ragip Zarakolu, a prominent human rights activist from Turkey; Prof. Ayhan Aktar from Istanbul Bilgi University; Ya’akov Ahimeir, Journalist and Editor of Israel Broadcasting Authority’s weekly international news survey on Channel 1; Benny Ziffer, Editor of the literary and cultural section of Haaretz newspaper; and George Hintlian from Jerusalem’s Armenian community.

In my conference presentation, I expressed regret that The State of Israel has yet to acknowledge the Armenian Genocide. Here are excerpts from my remarks:

“I must first draw an important distinction between the position of the Israeli government and the people of Israel and Jews around the world who have been some of the leading voices calling attention to the Armenian Genocide and its recognition:

— Henry Morgenthau, U.S. Ambassador to the Ottoman Empire, during the Genocide;

— Franz Werfel, the Austrian Jewish novelist, who wrote in 1933 the international bestselling novel, “The Forty Days of Musa Dagh.” His book was translated into Hebrew in 1934 and was widely read by Jews everywhere, particularly in the Warsaw ghetto, as a source of inspiration for survival and resistance to the Nazis during the Shoah;

— Raphael Lemkin, the Polish Jewish lawyer, who coined the term genocide. He disclosed during a 1949 interview on the CBS-TV Program Face the Nation: “I became interested in genocide because it happened to the Armenians”;

— I would add to these historical figures the name of Yossi Beilin, who spoke out on the Armenian Genocide as Israel’s Minister of Justice on April 24, 2000, and as Deputy Foreign Minister in 1994, despite heavy pressures and criticisms from the Israeli government;

— We also fondly remember Minister of Education Yossi Sarid who was the keynote speaker in Jerusalem on April 24, 2000, the 85th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide. He declared: “I am here, with you, as a human being, as a Jew, as an Israeli, and as Education Minister of the State of Israel…. Whoever stands indifferent in front of it [genocide], or ignores it, whoever makes calculations, whoever is silent always helps the perpetrator of the crime and not the murdered.”

— I must include in this list of Righteous Jews, Professors Israel Charny, Yair Auron, Yehuda Bauer, Nobel Peace Prize winner Elie Wiesel, and a large number of Jewish scholars who were the trailblazers in writing articles and books on the Armenian Genocide, even before Armenian scholars.

— I must also commend Knesset members and former Knesset Chairman Reuven Rivlin — the current President of Israel — who staunchly supported Armenian Genocide recognition despite his government’s vehement opposition.

As it is well known, the Armenian Genocide was the ‘prototype’ of the Shoah in view of German complicity in the extermination of Armenians in the Ottoman Empire. In the process of that criminal cooperation, the German military learned from its Turkish ally practical evil lessons on how to organize and implement the elimination of an entire race! Hitler was emboldened by the silence of the world while Armenians were getting wiped out, to confidently declare on the eve of his invasion of Poland in 1939, “Who, after all, speaks today of the annihilation of the Armenians?”

Consequently, The State of Israel should have been the first country, and hopefully not the last, to recognize the Armenian Genocide! Who should empathize more with the victims of a genocide than those who have suffered a similar fate?

Those who give Realpolitik reasons to justify Israel’s reluctance to acknowledge the Armenian Genocide, should answer the following question: Would they accept the denial of the Shoah by another country, simply because it is in that country’s strategic interest to do so?

Equally illogical is the claim that now is not the right time to recognize the Armenian Genocide! When is a good time to recognize a genocide? Isn’t 100 years of waiting long enough?

Moreover, for years, we were told that acknowledging the Armenian Genocide would ruin Israel’s good relations with Turkey. Now, we are being told that Israel cannot acknowledge it in order not to make its bad relations with Turkey worse!

It would be immoral to exploit the recognition of the Armenian Genocide as a bargaining chip between Turkey and Israel. No political, economic or military interest should override the recognition of any genocide!

Israel should recognize the Armenian Genocide for one reason only: It is the right thing to do!”

Vienna concert commemorates Armenian Genocide centennial

November 10, 2015 By administrator

Vienna hosted “With you, Armenia” concert commemorating the Genocide centennial on Saturday, November 7.

According to Armenia’s Foreign Ministry, the concert was organized by the Armenian Genocide centennial committee, Armenia’s Ministry of Culture, and the country’s Embassy to Austria, in cooperation with Yerevan Perspectives International Music Festival.

The event took place at famous Wiener Musikverein concert hall’s main stage in the Grosser Saal.

Violinist Emmanuel Tjeknavorian, pianist Nare Aghramanyan, world famous cellist Mischa Maisky and his family trio played works by Komitas, Babajanian, Brahms, Rachmaninoff, Bizet and other composers. A group of prominent opera singers, including Liana Harutyunyan, Hovhannes Ayvazyan, Varduhi Khachatryan and Barsegh Tumanyan performed Mozart’s Requiem to the accompaniment of Camerata Salzburg chamber orchestra.

Ambassadors to Austria, heads of various international missions, diplomats, politicians, and Austrian-Armenian community members attended the event.

—————————– Armenia Genocide —————————

The Armenian Genocide

The Armenian Genocide (1915-23) was the deliberate and systematic destruction of the Armenian population of the Ottoman Empire during and just after World War I. It was characterized by massacres, and deportations involving forced marches under conditions designed to lead to the death of the deportees, with the total number of deaths reaching 1.5 million.

The majority of Armenian Diaspora communities were formed by the Genocide survivors.

Present-day Turkey denies the fact of the Armenian Genocide, justifying the atrocities as “deportation to secure Armenians”. Only a few Turkish intellectuals, including Nobel Prize winner Orhan Pamuk and scholar Taner Akcam, speak openly about the necessity to recognize this crime against humanity.

The Armenian Genocide was recognized by Uruguay, Russia, France, Lithuania, the Italian Chamber of Deputies, majority of U.S. states, parliaments of Greece, Cyprus, Argentina, Belgium and Wales, National Council of Switzerland, Chamber of Commons of Canada, Polish Sejm, Vatican, European Parliament and the World Council of Churches.

Which nation FIRST Invented GENOCIDE TURKS or GERMANS Please VOTE

November 9, 2015 By administrator

Which nation FIRST Invented #genocide TURKS or GERMANS Please VOTE

— Wally Sarkeesian (@gagrulenet) November 9, 2015

Professors from 4 different universities discuss denial of Armenian Genocide

November 8, 2015 By administrator

Leeks Lim/The Daily Northwestern
Kerem Ӧktem, a professor at the University of Graz in Austria, discusses the Turkish government’s denial of the Armenian Genocide during a conference in remembrance of 100 years since the genocide. The conference, hosted by the Buffett Institute of Global Studies’ Keyman Modern Turkish Studies on Friday, featured professors of different universities who discussed their research and views on the genocide.

Aaron Lewis, Reporter
November 8, 2015 •

In remembrance of 100 years since the Armenian Genocide, professors from four different universities spoke out against denial of the genocide as part of “Denial and Memory,” a conference held at Northwestern on Friday.

Held by the Buffett Institute of Global Studies’ Keyman Modern Turkish Studies, history Prof. Ipek Yosmaoğlu introduced the event to an audience of about 30 people.

“Denial of violence is even more serious,” said Yosmaoğlu. “The most terrible thing is not about the suffering, but the erasure of its memory.”

Mustafa Aksakal, who teaches about Turkish history at Georgetown University, was the first speaker. He began by telling the story of five young Armenian boys who struck an undetonated shell that fell during World War I, killing two and injuring three. Aksakal used this as an example of the destruction war brought to Armenian communities.

“In short, the first World War devastated the Middle East,” he said. “Violence begets violence, but more violence begets violent identities.”

Rachel Goshgarian, a professor at Lafayette College, spoke about Armenian historical monuments and how since the 20th century, hundreds have either been destroyed or are vanishing.

“Does this destruction, this continued use of destruction, act as a byproduct of the Armenian Genocide?” she asked the crowd.

Some of these buildings had been used for demonstrations of explosive power, or target practice for the military, Goshgarian said. Other times these places lose parts of their structures for people to repurpose them for homebuilding.

“These have been the fate of these structures” she said. “Even when the ministry recognizes these buildings have some sort of historical importance, some buildings get turned into a children’s playground.”

Kerem Ӧktem, a professor at the University of Graz in Austria, discussed memory versus recognition of the genocide and ideas like the Turkish government’s denial of the genocide. He also talked about the connection between societal power groups and recognition of the genocide.

“With very little reach out in society, it is important to see how many sides can exist in society,” he said. “Denialists are losing ground.”

Barbara Lyons, an Evanston resident who was at the event, said she is interested in the topic of the Middle East and the Armenian Genocide.

“Everything they told me were things I didn’t know,” she said. “I read about the West carving out the East arbitrarily, forming countries, and that is how this whole thing got started.”

She also commented on the shock factor of the lecture.

“The destruction of Armenian culture is what surprised me,” she said. “They didn’t just get rid of the Armenians, they wanted to get rid of remembering they were there.”

Email: aaronlewis2019@u.northwestern.edu

Source: dailynorthwestern.com

Toronto Symphony Orchestra commemorates Armenian Genocide Centennial with concert

November 8, 2015 By administrator

George Weston Recital Hall at the Toronto Center for Arts will host today ‘Forget Me Not’ concert to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the 1915 Armenian Genocide in the Ottoman Empire, Panorama.am learned from the Union of Composers of Armenia.

Soprano Hasmik Papyan and violinist Nine Melikyan will perform with Toronto Symphony Orchestra.

The concert will feature works by Armenian composers Edward Mirzoyan, Alexander Harutyunyan, Aram Khachturyan, Tigran Mansuryan, and Vache Sharafyan.

Soli Özel Turkish Intellectuals Who Have Recognized The Armenian Genocide

November 7, 2015 By administrator

By: Hambersom Aghbashian,

Soli Özel (born in 1958 in Izmir- Turkey), is a Professor of International Relations at Bilgi, University, Istanbul, and foreign news editor and a columnist for the Gazete Habertürk. He graduated from Robert College in Istanbul in 1975, and received his bachelor’s at Bennington College in 1980 and his master’s at John Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) in 1983. He then went on to the University of California at Berkeley for doctoral studies in political science. From 1998 until 2007, he was the Editor-in-chief of Foreign Policy-Turkey, and is currently the Editor-in-Chief of Private View, the quarterly publication of TUSIAD, Turkey’s top business association. He has written for Nokta, GazetePazar, Sabah and Görü magazine. Professor Özel has guest lectured at Georgetown, Harvard, Tufts and other US universities and has taught at UC Santa Cruz, SAIS, the University of Washington and the Hebrew University. He has spent time as a fellow of St. Anthony’s College, Oxford and was a visiting senior scholar at the EU Institute for Security Studies in Paris. He has been a Fisher Family Fellow of the “Future of Diplomacy Program” at the Belfer Center of the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. His writings have also been published in different publications in Turkey and abroad. Özel is the co-author of “Rebuilding a partnership: Turkish-American relations in a new era”. (1)(2)
According to PanArmenian.net (April 1, 2010), “Some representatives of Turkish intelligentsia urge Turkey, which seeks EU membership, to follow the Serbian parliament’s example, which condemned the 1995 killings of Bosnian Muslims in Srebrenica, and apologize to Armenians for the 1915 Genocide. The offer was advanced by Maya Arakon, assistant professor of International Relations from Yeditepe University, and Soli Özel, professor of International Relations and Political Science at Istanbul’s Bilgi University. (3)
According to “Today’s Zaman”, September 26, 2014, “A group of academics, journalists, artists and intellectuals have released a statement condemning in the harshest terms what they define as expressions that include ‘open hatred and hostility’ towards Armenians in Turkish schoolbooks. A letter accompanying the text of the condemnation, written by historian Taner Akçam, notes that including such expressions as lesson material to teach children is a disgrace. The statement said ‘The revolutions history and history textbooks should be collected immediately, with an apology issued to everyone and particularly to Armenian students.” The signees said textbooks in schools should seek to encourage feelings of peace, solidarity and living together over inciting hatred towards different religious and cultural groups. Professor Soli Özel was one of the many most respected Turkish politicians who signed it. (4)
Professor Soli Özel’s two latest published works are “A Moment of Elation: The Gezi Protests/Resistance and the Fading of the AKP Project” in The Making of a Protest Movement in Turkey: Occupygezi, and an article co-authored with Serhat Guvenc, entitled “NATO and Turkey in the Post-Cold War World: Between Abandonment and Entrapment”.
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1- http://www.gmfus.org/expert/experts_dirc/soli-zel/
2- http://belfercenter.ksg.harvard.edu/events/6321/soli_ozel.html
3- http://www.panarmenian.net/eng/world/news/46423/
4- http://www.todayszaman.com/national_group-of-intellectuals-condemn-anti-armenian-statements-in-textbooks_359935.html

First International Conference on the Armenian Genocide in Israel

November 6, 2015 By administrator

On November 2, the first international conference on the subject of the Armenian Genocide opened in Israel, in Tel Aviv. The conference titled hundred years the Armenian Genocide, was organized for the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide was organized and hosted by the Department of Sociology, Political Science and Communication from the Open University of Israel.

The organizers of the conference are Yair Auron Dr. (Chairman), Dr. Isaac Lubelsky and Dr. Charbit – teachers who teach the Study of Genocide at the Free University of Israel (the only course on genocide in Israel).

During the conference’s opening ceremony, President of the Open University, Professor Jacob (Kobi) Metzer, Dr. Yair Auron and Dr. Isaac Lubelsky made the introductory speech.

They said the hundredth anniversary of the Armenian Genocide was an important date for them, they talked about the fact that Israel does not recognize the Armenian Genocide, and stressed the fact that this recognition is imperative for Israel.

“The Israeli recognition of the Armenian Genocide is my dream. She is not coming soon but … I will fight for almost 30 years for this event to take place, and because it takes place today, part of my dream come true. We expect that such a conference be held annually from now on, “said Yair Auron to Panorama.am.

“The aim of the conference was to discuss the Armenian Genocide among academics in an open … Above all, the Open University deals with the subject of the genocide seriously, and that is why this conference is important for us, “said Dr. Lubelsky to Panorama.am.

The conference also includes an exhibition Jewish Voice over the Armenian Genocide, which has loaned by the Institute-Museum of Armenian Genocide.

The opening ceremony was also notable because a choir led by Israeli Tomer Heiseg (piano Noam Ziggon) performed three songs for the audience with the famous song Erebuni Yerevan interpreted in Armenian.

At the end of the first day, the famous film Ararat about the Armenian Genocide by Atom Egoyan (with Charles Aznavour) was screened.

The conference will continue for two more days. Jewish participants from abroad are invited (including Turkish academics too).

On Wednesday, a meeting of participants in the conference with the President of Israel Reuben Rivlin is expected.

Nvard Chalikyan

Las Vegas Armenian Genocide Memorial Unveiling Scheduled for November 14

November 4, 2015 By administrator

The monument will be unveiled on Saturday, November 14

LAS VEGAS—The construction of the Armenian Genocide Memorial Monument at Sunset Park is coming to conclusion and the unveiling is scheduled for 10:00am on Saturday, November 14, 2015.

Sunset Park is the largest park in the City of Las Vegas, centrally located and close to the McCarran international airport. The park has over 4 million annual visitors.

The monument project is the initiative of the Armenian-American Cultural Society (AACS) of Las Vegas, with the participation of all Las Vegas Armenian churches and organizations.

The memorial monument will be a gift to the people of southern Nevada from the Armenian-American community.

H.E. Archbishop Hovnan Derderian, Primate of Western Diocese and H.E. Archbishop Moushegh Mardirossian, Prelate of Western Prelacy, officials from Republic of Armenia and Republic of Lebanon as well as local city officials and State of Nevada Congressional Representatives, and the Nevada Consular Corps will participate in the unveiling.

Plan on arriving early since parking is not available at the monument site and there will be a 15 minute walk from adjacent parking lots to the monument site. Shuttle service will be available for those who need transportation to and from parking lots. The park is located at 2601 East Sunset Road, Las Vegas, Nevada 89120. The monument is located at the entrance on Sunset Road across from Enterprise Car Rental.

AACS is the first Armenian-American organization established in Nevada, founded in 1978 and incorporated in 1981 as a 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization. AACS actively supports issues and concerns of the Armenian-American community in Nevada with a mission of preserving the history, culture and traditions of the Armenian people.

Pressure on Israel to deny the Armenia Genocide

November 3, 2015 By administrator

By Harut Sassounian,

Publisher, The California Courier
www.TheCaliforniaCourier.com
As relations between Israel and Turkey have become increasingly strained in recent years, shifting from strategic alliance to outright hostility, many analysts began to wonder about the Israeli government’s uncharacteristically muted reaction to Turkish Pres. Erdogan’s anti-Semitic diatribes and anti-Israeli actions.
Under these circumstances, Armenians and their supporters are puzzled by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s continued complicity in the Turkish government’s denial of the Armenian Genocide and the blocking of its recognition by the Knesset (parliament).
Some Middle East experts offer two explanations of Israel’s puzzling stance:
1) Despite the apparent bad blood between Israel and Turkey, the two countries continue their covert intelligence sharing and arms trade.
2) Azerbaijan, Turkey’s junior brother, has taken an aggressive role in pressuring Israel not to recognize the Armenian Genocide by using as leverage its purchase of billions of dollars of advanced Israeli weapons, providing Israel much needed petroleum products, and a base in Baku to infiltrate and spy on Iran with which it has a 400-mile border.
The Israeli government has become so overly sensitive to Azerbaijan’s diktats that during a recent visit by Armenia’s Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian to Jerusalem, Israel’s Foreign Minister rudely refused to meet with him. Only through a last minute intervention, Mr. Nalbandian managed to meet with the President of Israel.

An article in the November 1 issue of The Jerusalem Post fully illustrates the extent of Israel’s kowtowing to Azerbaijan. At a time when most Western groups, including the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), refused to monitor Azerbaijan’s Parliamentary elections because of restrictions imposed by Baku, four Israeli Knesset members rushed to Azerbaijan to show their support for Aliyev’s despotic regime!
The Israeli delegation, led by former Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman, now chairman of the Israel-Azerbaijan Parliamentary Group, included ex-ambassador to the U.S. Michael Oren, Sofa Landver, and Yoel Razbozov.
The Jerusalem Post reported that Lieberman, as Foreign Minister, “worked to strengthen Israeli ties with Azerbaijan,” and quoted him saying in Baku that it is “an important country and a good friend of Israel…. Even in the time of the Soviet Union, [Azerbaijan] was known to treat its Jewish community well, and there is no anti-Semitism there. We must continue strengthening our relations with Azerbaijan.” Azernews also quoted him telling the Azeri Elections Media Center that Azerbaijan “is an example of democracy, stability, and successful foreign policy.” Most knowledgeable people would dismiss such ridiculous and false statements.
One wonders why the former Foreign Minister is so anxious to whitewash Azerbaijan’s past and present practices of anti-Semitism? After the four Knesset members return from Baku, they should be asked to disclose the lavish gifts they must have received in appreciation for their rubber stamping of the fraudulent elections in Azerbaijan. Not surprisingly, Aliyev maintained its tight grip on power after his ruling party retained its majority in parliament, while the mainstream opposition boycotted last Sunday’s elections.
The Jerusalem Post reported that “Azerbaijan is considered the Muslim country friendliest to Israel, and the two countries have close ties and significant trade. Azerbaijan is Israel’s biggest oil provider, and trade between the two countries reaches $5 billion, more than with France. In recent years, Lieberman, then-president Shimon Peres, and Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon visited Baku.”
In pursuing its arms for oil policy, Israeli officials have conveniently ignored Azerbaijan’s gross violations of human rights, lack of freedom of speech, and jailing of journalists and activists, including Leyla Yunus, head of the Baku-based Institute for Peace and Democracy, and investigative reporter Khadija Ismayilova of Radio Free Europe.

While it might be somewhat understandable that Israel and Azerbaijan are pursuing their self-interests, no matter how reprehensible the means, Armenia must also pursue its own national interests and counter the actions of any country that jeopardizes its security and questions the Genocide. The Armenian government should make crystal clear to Israeli officials that by selling multi-billion dollar sophisticated weapons to Azerbaijan, they become responsible for putting at risk thousands of Armenian lives. Azerbaijani officials have publicly announced that they intend to use the arms acquired from Israel to attack Nagorno Karabagh (Artsakh) and Armenia.

Lastly, Armenia should warn Azerbaijan that its unwarranted denials of the Armenian Genocide and pressures on other countries, such as Israel, to join its denialist cause, would further antagonize Armenians, making it impossible for them to accept any concessions on the Artsakh conflict.

Russia Federation Council chief visits Armenian Genocide Memorial

November 3, 2015 By administrator

YEREVAN. – report news.am On Tuesday morning, a delegation, led by led by chairperson Valentina Matviyenko of the Federation Council of Russia, paid a visit to the Armenian Genocide Memorial in Yerevan, the capital city of Armenia .

Matviyenko was accompanied by National Assembly of Armenia Vice President Hermine Naghdalyan, and Russian Ambassador Ivan Volinkin.

She laid a wreath and placed flowers to the Genocide monument, and paid tribute to the 1.5 million victims of this tragedy.

The speaker of the Russian Federation Council also toured the exhibits in the Armenian Genocide Museum-Institute, where she could not hold back her tears.

At the end of the tour, Valentina Matviyenko signed the Book of Condolences of the Armenian Genocide Museum-Institute.