ArmInfo. Chairman of Meretz, MP Tamar Zandberg withdrew her bill on recognition of the Armenian Genocide, which was planned to be discussed at the Knesset plenary meeting today, June 26.
As Israeli Details informs, Zandberg took this decision after the Foreign Ministry and the coalition demanded that the term "genocide" be replaced in the bill by "tragedy," or "the horrors experienced by the Armenian people." She refused to discuss any proposal in which there would be no concept of "genocide". Realizing that the bill will not be implemented, Zandberg decided to remove it from the agenda.
Speaking from the rostrum of the Knesset, the leader of Meretz in particular said: "If not we, then who should recognize the Armenian Genocide?" We are the people who have experienced what genocide is, what hatred is, what the mass murder of innocent people is.We must stand in the forefront of those who recognize the fact of genocide, regardless of our political favors, but I see that I will not be able to gain the required majority for adopting the law. " Some believe that such intentions of Knesset members are blocked for a long time because they can affect relations between Israel and Turkey. As it is known, the latter categorically refuses to recognise the events of 1914-1915 in the Ottoman Empire as the Armenian Genocide. It is noteworthy that information was spread in the Azerbaijani media about the fact that the bill was removed from the agenda of the Knesset meeting thanks to the efforts of the Israeli Defense Minister, great friend of Azerbaijan Avigdor Lieberman.