Israel MPs reject genocide claims
The Israeli parliament has dropped a motion
proposing that the Jewish state recognize the so-called genocide of
Armenians, a claim on the World War I-era mass killings in the
Ottoman Empire, according to reports issued early last week.
On April 24, the day considered by Armenians as the date marking the alleged massacres, Haim Oron, the leader of the Israeli leftist party Meretz, submitted a bill calling to recognize the "genocide" by the legislature. However, Gilad Erdan, the country`s Minister of Environmental Protection, said that revealing the government`s position while discussing the issue would be out of place, Turkey`s Milliyet (Nation) newspaper said.
"Commemorating the Armenians killed is our moral responsibility. But this issue should be discussed openly on the basis of historical data, and parliament is not a place for such a discussion," Erdan said.
The government in Yerevan has accused Turkey of genocide against Armenians in the latter years of the Ottoman Empire, which preceded modern Turkey. The Turkish government says the developments were part of clashes that related to Armenian groups supporting Russia against Turkey during World War I. Ankara insists the killings were not orchestrated by the Ottoman government and Turkish President Abdullah Gul has proposed opening Ottoman archives to international scholars to try to resolve the dispute.
On April 24, the day considered by Armenians as the date marking the alleged massacres, Haim Oron, the leader of the Israeli leftist party Meretz, submitted a bill calling to recognize the "genocide" by the legislature. However, Gilad Erdan, the country`s Minister of Environmental Protection, said that revealing the government`s position while discussing the issue would be out of place, Turkey`s Milliyet (Nation) newspaper said.
"Commemorating the Armenians killed is our moral responsibility. But this issue should be discussed openly on the basis of historical data, and parliament is not a place for such a discussion," Erdan said.
The government in Yerevan has accused Turkey of genocide against Armenians in the latter years of the Ottoman Empire, which preceded modern Turkey. The Turkish government says the developments were part of clashes that related to Armenian groups supporting Russia against Turkey during World War I. Ankara insists the killings were not orchestrated by the Ottoman government and Turkish President Abdullah Gul has proposed opening Ottoman archives to international scholars to try to resolve the dispute.
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