Calls in Israel to Follow the US Example and Recognize the Armenian Genocide

Two prominent Israeli politicians have urged the country's authorities to recognize the Armenian Genocide, following the example set by the US House of Representatives. This was reported by The Times of Israel, noting the applause that followed the vote in the House on October 29, which passed the resolution titled "Affirming the United States Record on the Armenian Genocide" with 405 votes in favor and 11 against. It was a historic moment in the US Congress, where similar bills had been introduced in various forms but had never been passed.

The article points out that October 29, the day Turkey celebrates Republic Day, will also be remembered in history for the passage of two resolutions against Turkey in the US House of Representatives. One of these was a bill imposing sanctions against the country. This all occurred three weeks after Turkey's incursion into northeastern Syria and the assaults on the Kurds who had taken control of those areas.

“The vote by the US House of Representatives to recognize the Armenian Genocide was directed toward historical justice and truth. Turkey should not be allowed to terrorize the world by demanding genocide denial,” stated Yair Lapid, one of the leaders of the Blue and White political alliance, who has repeatedly raised the issue of recognizing the Armenian Genocide in the Knesset through his Yesh Atid party.

“I will continue my fight for Israel’s recognition of the Armenian Genocide,” Lapid emphasized.

Former Israeli Interior Minister Gideon Sa'ar from the Likud party, which is part of the coalition, also called for recognition, welcoming the moral and principled stance of the US House of Representatives. “Israel should also clearly recognize these horrific atrocities,” Sa'ar noted, using the #genocide hashtag.

The question of recognizing the Armenian Genocide has been raised multiple times in the Israeli Knesset. It was approved in 2016 by the parliament's education committee. The issue has also been addressed by President Reuven Rivlin, who even spoke about it from the podium of the UN.