Israeli parliament rejects discussing Armenian "genocide" bill

Hurriyet Daily News with wires

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Israel has a moral duty to remember the "killing of Armenians," Environment Minister Gilad Erdan said before reading aloud the government's response, which rejects the motion put forward by leftist-Meretz leader Haim Oron.  

"Israel has never denied the terrible acts carried out against the Armenians, and I am well aware of the intensity of the emotions given the number of victims and the suffering of the Armenian people," Erdan was quoted by Ynetnews.com as saying.

Erdan, however, said the 1915 incidents should be assessed on the basis of historical data instead of a political discussion in parliament. 

"The study of the events must be done through open discussion, and backed by the historical data, not a political debate in the Knesset. Because of our understanding of the pain and suffering, and so that Israel does not become a side that deals with this from a purely political place, I ask that we take this issue off the Knesset's agenda," he said.

The issue of the 1915 incidents is highly sensitive for Turkey as well as Armenia. In the incidents around 300,000 Armenians and at least as many Turks, died in civil strife that emerged when Armenians took up arms, backed by Russia, for independence in eastern Anatolia.

However Armenia, with the backing of the diaspora, claims up to 1.5 million of their kin were slaughtered in orchestrated killings in 1915. The issue remains unsolved as Armenia drags its feet in accepting Turkey's proposal of forming a commission to investigate the claims.