All indications are that the Biden administration will recognize the Armenian genocide more than a century after it occurred. Michael Rubin, resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI), published an article about it in The National Interest.
The author of the article states that on April 24, 2020, then-presidential candidate Joe Biden tweeted, “If elected, I pledge to support a resolution recognizing the Armenian Genocide and will make universal human rights a top priority.” It appears his staff remains onboard with that commitment.
Rubin writes that “White House sources” had told him genocide recognition would go forward. While Bremmer noted not only Biden’s campaign promise but also that Vice President Kamala Harris had co-sponsored the 2019 genocide resolution.
Herein lies the problem: there is a dynamic in government where officials believe it sophisticated or useful to distort history or elide current tragedy for the sake of short-term diplomatic necessity. According to the author of the article, Samantha Power wrote a book about it and, yet, not only failed to stand up with moral clarity on Armenia but then she (and Ben Rhodes) ignored the ongoing genocide in Syria.
“Secretary of State Antony Blinken promised greater attentiveness to human rights during his first weeks in office, but he has already demonstrated a willingness to sacrifice principle for politics,” Rubin writes.
He states that not only is the Armenian Genocide fact, but downplaying it can also have a real cost. “Azerbaijan and Turkey timed their surprise September attack on Armenian-populated Nagorno-Karabakh to coincide with the centennial anniversary of the Ottoman invasion of newly independent Armenia,” the expert stated and added that to show Turkey that bluster can trump accountability will ensure further aggression not only against Armenia but also against the Kurds and Cyprus.
He also drew the attention of high-ranking American officials to one important fact. “Unlike Turkey and Azerbaijan that project images of multi-faith tolerance to Western visitors and invite the foreign press to small commemorations, Armenia hosts a Holocaust monument in its capital as Armenians recognize that history too often repeats.”
“Genocide recognition is important but it is not enough. With dictators to both Armenia’s east and west, it is essential to recognize that the threat of a century ago continues to the present day. Empty rhetoric can carry a huge cost,” Rubin concluded.
