The recognition of the Armenian Genocide by Joe Biden’s administration will reportedly be a historic and long-standing US decision. Jewish
Jerusalem Post published an op-ed on the Armenian Genocide.
In a morally inexcusable shortcoming, Israel and many other nations have failed or even refused to recognize the Armenian Genocide committed by the Ottoman Turks in 1915 against Armenian Christians.
Jerusalem Post states that in 2019, the United States passed a resolution recognizing the massacre. Now it is expected that US president will recognize it, too.
Jerusalem Post emphasizes, that the genocide is seen by many historians as a precursor to the Holocaust, and its lack of recognition has often been cited as evidence for why remembering the Holocaust is crucial to prevent genocides in the future. Despite overwhelming evidence and eyewitness testimonies, there has been controversy over recognition, due to Turkey’s adamant refusal to accept responsibility for the massacre.
In the case of Israel, the government has refused to recognize the Armenian Genocide, due to the volatile yet strategic political relationship with Turkey.
For decades, Turkey has blackmailed and threatened nations if they even considered recognizing the Armenian Genocide.
Initially, this wasn’t something Israel could politically afford. Israel relied heavily on Turkey as one of the only Muslim states with which it had cooperation and diplomatic relations. Yet through the decades, Turkey has become increasingly hostile to Israel with the dictatorial and Islamist President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Today, Israel is less dependent than ever on Turkey, especially with emerging relations with Arab states. Yet instead of recognizing the Armenian Genocide and unequivocally standing on the right side of history, the Israeli government has sold out the Armenian people even today, by selling weapons to Azerbaijan while it bombs Armenian cities.
Referring to the US recognition of the Armenian Genocide, Jerusalem Post notes that this month the White House announced that the Biden administration is going to recognize it.
The author of the article emphasizes the fact that the Armenian Genocide is not a mere terrifying event. This is the most horrific genocide in the world at that time, which took place not in the context of a war, but because Armenians are Christians.
