A New Perspective: Armenian Allegations in the Light of Israel and Jews

Contrary to the positive character of Turkey’s relation to Israel, Turkey’s relation with Armenia is a very problematic one, which sticks in stagnation. In the tradition of a witches circle, Armenia only wants to start relations with Turkey, when Turkey recognizes a ‘genocide’ committed towards Armenians in 1915. Turkey only accepts to get closer to Armenia, when Armenia gives up this claim, when Armenia further accepts the eastern boarder of Turkey, when Armenia leaves the occupied territories of Azerbaijan and supports a peaceful solution to the Nagorno-Karabagh conflict. At present Turkey and Armenia do not have any official relations and the border between the two states is closed.

This Turkey – Israel – Armenia triangle is of a great importance to Turkey. Armenia’s genocide claim on the one side, Israel’s Holocaust experience on the other side, makes this triangle relation very sensitive for Turkey. Armenia wishes Israel’s international support in its genocide claim. Turkey welcomes Israel’s attitude of viewing the Holocaust not comparable to anything else, including the events of 1915. To this triangle relation, the dimension of the influential Jewish and Armenian lobbies in the USA is added.

This article intends to view Turkey’s relations with Israel and Armenia from the above mentioned perspectives, by presenting the Armenian community in Israel and the Jewish community in Armenia, presenting the Holocaust versus the genocide claim and finally by having a look on the Armenian and Jewish lobbies and their activities in the USA.

Jews in Armenia

Jewish existence in Armenia started 2000 years ago with 10.000 people. Today this number has shrunk to some 1000 Jews only. Although there has never been a strong Jewish community in the past of Armenia, the fact of the decrease of the amount shows openly that out of some reasons Jews chose to emigrate, mostly to Israel. The greater part of the Jews in Armenia are Ashkenazim, originating from the former Soviet Union.[2] A synagogue in Yerevan permits them to practice their religion. ‘The United Jewish Community of Armenia’ is a roof organization were the little number of Jews find a platform to come together.

The small Jewish community is financially supported by Israel and the Jews of the USA. As all Jews all over the world, they have the right to settle in Israel. Looking at the immigration rate of the last decade one can easily calculate that the resting Jews won’t stay long in Armenia. This is a general tendency in Armenia. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, half of Armenia’s population went to other countries.

Dr. Sedat Laçiner will deal in his article “Armenia’s Jewish Scepticism and its Impact on Armenia – Israel Relations” in this issue of Armenian Research in a detailed way with Jews in Armenia.

It is a fact that Jews in Armenia feel some pressure, concerning the genocide issue. For example, a memorial stone was donated to the Holocaust Monument by the Jews. This is a sign for the mentioned pressure. Still, nothing else should be expected from a small Jewish community, living in Armenia.

An example for anti-semitism was experienced in 1997, when it was discussed in the parliament whether to allow a Russian military base in Armenia. Which of course was only a rhetoric question for the Russian-closed Armenia. The majority in the parliament voted pro-Russian, only four parliamentarians opposed. Somehow this lead to the situation that these opposing votes were brought in relation to the “Jewish lobby”.[3] The vice speaker of the National Assembly, Ara Saakian was the one, who attacked the Jews. He said that he is suspicious about the integrity of Armenian Jews. He perceived that the Jewish lobby was deeply interested in the Azerbaijanian oil, therefore did not want close relations with Russia. The expression “the Jewish lobby turned into a pro-Azerbaijanian power” was used. It seems so far beyond any reality to talk of a ‘Jewish lobby’, in a country where only 1000 Jews live. Apart from this, it shows that diverse opinions are not expected easily in Armenia. It is difficult to stay outside of trends, which is also valid for the genocide discussion.

In a report of the ‘Union of Councils for Jews in the Former Soviet Union’[4] we can see a very logical explanation for the above mentioned example. Although in general within the population there cannot be seen any specific negative behaviour towards Jews in special, the author points out the sensitive issues of Armenians.

Israel’s partnership with Turkey and Israel’s closeness to Azerbaijan concluded in anti-semitic attacks towards Jews in Armenia. The fact that with the support of the Jewish lobby in the USA sanctions towards Azerbaijan has been stopped, lead to another fact of Jews being blamed in Armenia. Armenians criticize Jews for not being loyal towards their government (Armenia) and for not being critical enough towards pro-Turkish and pro-Azerbaijan developments.

Still the main point of criticism remains the genocide issue. The fact that Israel not only refuses to name the relocation of Armenians in 1915 as genocide but further shows her unwillingness of the comparison of those events to the Holocaust of the Jews, causes deep uncomfortability within the Armenians, which leads to such expressions:

“Nevertheless, some Armenians allege that Jews want all the attention of victims for themselves and some Armenian extremists have even asserted that the founder of modern Turkey Kemal Atatürk’s mother was Jewish and that this is proof that Jews were complicit in the Armenian genocide”[5]

This statement shows that there is an obvious jealousness towards Jews! Armenians, who claim that there has been committed genocide toward their people in history, want to be treated equally to the Jews.

Another expression shows, that fanatic Armenians do not need any ‘excuses’, as above for being anti-semitic:

“Armenian – Jewish relations have historically been filled with conflict between Aryan Armenians and Semitic Jews. Jews incite ethnic conflicts, including the dispute over Nagorno-Karabagh.”[6]

This phrase shows openly a Nazi-minded anti-semtism, which separates people into races. The historical Jewish – Armenian relations are reflected, because seen from this point of view, in a negative light. But in comparison to the above quoted journalist, criticism towards Jews and Israel not only gets louder but also much ruder:

“The one and only country in the world that has treated the Jews as equals and never discriminated against them, is now, in the hour of their desperate need, being shunned and ignored by Israel and influential Jews throughout the world. As if, that ingratitude wasn’t enough, now she (Israel) is in bed with Turkey, the mortal enemy of Armenia.”[7]

Armenians are openly blaming the Jews in their country for Israel’s cooperation with Turkey. This cooperation is viewed as unfaithfulness and disloyalty towards “the one and only country in the world that has treated Jews as equals”.

Most recently the Israeli ambassador to Georgia and Armenia, Rivka Kohen, made the view of Israel in this issue clear once again. She stated on the 8th of February that Jewish Holocaust is unique because the Jews in Germany under the NAZI regime were annihilated systematically. The elimination of Jews was state policy and was implemented in a planned way. This is the main reason, she said why the death of Armenians in 1915 cannot be considered as genocide.[8]

Armenians are expecting a hard time in their genocide allegations, because these developments show the failure of their foreign policy, which is build up on the genocide issue. Maybe these negative developments will lead Armenia to define other priorities in her foreign policy in order to be more successful.

Armenians in Israel

The number for Armenians in Israel is not much different than the number of Jews in Armenia: around 1000. This number shows that Armenians fleeing from the Ottoman Empire did not direct their route towards Israel, as it is presented exaggeratedly.[9] In Jerusalem, which is the center for the three big religions Christianity, Jewry and Islam, there is also an Armenian quarter, where the little Armenian community lives. The number of Armenians in Israel used to be nearly 20.000. In 1948 the Armenian population was about 16.000.[10] The Armenian Patriarchate has semi-diplomatic status.[11] Again the characteristic of religion seems to play a major role in the identity of Armenians. Arthur Hagopian admits in his research on Armenians in Israel, that:

“The Armenian Patriarchate is one of the three guardians of the Holy Places. The importance of the Armenians in Jerusalem derives from the fact that their church is one of the custodians of the holy places: we rank second in importance after the Greek Orthodox and the Latin Patriarchate. Without this the Armenians here would be no more than simple landholders.”  

This explanation underlines a fact that we try to show in our researches. Diaspora Armenians stress their religious part of identity, whenever they can make use out of it. Armenians in Germany are closed to the Protestant Church. With this link they can address more people, can gain financial support and find a larger platform to promote pro-Armenian and anti-Turkish views. The system Armenians apply in Israel is comparable. On the one side they show closeness to other Christian groups and parallel to that they also present a mood of understanding towards the Jews, because in this relation Armenians try to stress the ‘common past of experiencing holocaust or genocide of the two peoples’. For fanatic Armenians this is a way to promote their own case. In this constellation soon a picture of the ‘evil Muslim Turk’ and the ‘innocent, suffering Christian Armenian’ can be drawn. By blaming Muslims they create a parallel to others, who blame Muslims (f.e. Israelis, Americans) and on the other side by creating the picture of a Christian, who faced injustice (rather than an Armenian) the probability of raising emotions within the Christian world is much higher (because the Christian world is much bigger than the Armenian world).

Expressions like “Turkish Armenia” that Hagopian uses in his research show openly that he does not accept a geographical, political and meanwhile the historical fact of the Republic of Turkey. The Armenian Church in Jerusalem also seems to have a missionary function:

“The theological seminary is home for less than a score of young students, drawn chiefly from Turkey and Lebanon, who occupy a sprawling new building put up by the American –Armenian philantrophist Alex Manougian. They come from distant villages in the mountains of Turkish Armenia, bearing outlandish names that have no connection with their ancestors and hardly knowing a word of Armenian.”[12]

Armenians in Israel praise themselves for having one of the best libraries in the diaspora. This library is founded by a rich Armenian and consists of over 50.000 books in Armenian, English, French and German – a place of which Turkish archive investigators should make use of! As history has shown us, it is more important to evaluate and present Armenian archive material, which describes the developments at the end of the Ottoman Empire. 

As a new trend, which is practiced within most of diaspora Armenians, in Israel there also take several ‘genocide memorial’ events place. A monument in memory is also not missing.[13]

Attached to the Hebrew University of Jerusalem there is an Armenian Studies program, which has been established 30 years ago and offers B.A., M.A., PhD degrees in related fields. Unfortunately the profile of this place of education is shown in its introductory note as:

“The similarities between the history of the Armenian and Jewish peoples are striking -- independence, dispersion and exile, holocaust and genocide, a pride in their distinctive heritages and the will to maintain them against all odds.”[14]

It is not presentable that within a university such a prejudiced expression takes place and is being reflected to young students. An ideal university should be an institution that gives students the necessary tools to gain information. Directing students/ people to certain viewpoints, especially such a subject, which is under debate, is truly not a principle of an ideal education.

The fact that the Armenians of Israel use the Hebrew word ‘Shoah’, which means Holocaust,[15] is another emotional attempt that raises just the opposite reactions of the Israelis than it intends. 

Holocaust Versus Genocide Allegations

It is a fact that Armenia promotes internationally the recognition of their genocide claims. This promotion was partly fruitful (France) and partly not (Germany, Switzerland, Great Britain). The genocide issue is for both states an obstacle for a relationship. While Armenia pronounces the genocide issue as a precondition for having diplomatic relations with Turkey, Turkey’s precondition is the giving up of this claim. On the one side there is a young, small, weak state, which surely builds up her existence on the genocide issue. On the other side there is a state, which is a powerful actor on the international platform and in her region.

One of Armenia’s tools to promote the genocide issue internationally is the open tendency to equalize the Holocaust of the Jews to the events of 1915 in the Ottoman Empire. The expression of “parallel historical experiences of their people”[16] is so classical by now. It seems that the Armenians do not feel that their own arguments are strong enough for recognition of their genocide claims. It seems that they almost want to upgrade their cause, by trying to present parallels between the Holocaust of the Jews and the relocation of Armenians in 1915 in the Ottoman Empire.[17] Although Armenia is well aware of Israel’s strong partnership with Turkey, she keeps on aiming Israel’s support in her genocide allegations. 

Israel up to now does not have a representation in Armenia. Israel’s ambassador in Georgia is responsible for Armenia, too. In the year 2000 Armenia opened an embassy in Israel and in the same year president Kocharian visited Israel for the first time.[18] However no visa versa visit has taken place until now. These tendencies show openly that it is more the Armenian side, which is insisting on a close relationship rather than the Israeli side!

In 1997 the new Israeli Ambassador to Turkey explained openly the view of his country by stating that no genocide towards Armenians has taken place.[19] Most recently the Israeli Foreign Minister Shimon Peres stated:

“We reject attempts to create a similarity between the Holocaust and the Armenian tragedy. Nothing similar to the Holocaust occurred. It is a tragedy what the Armenians experienced but not genocide. This issue should be dealt with by historians and we do not support the comparison of the Armenian tragedies to the Jewish Holocaust”[20]

This explanation by the Israeli Foreign Minister is extremely important for Turkey. Although there might be some Jewish historians, who are of another opinion, the official position of the Israeli state and the majority of the Diaspora Jews’ opinion is the above mentioned one. This view reflects two very significant things:

1.) Israel does not welcome Armenia’s attempts to compare and to equalize the events of 1915 to the Holocaust and
2.) Israel pronounces Turkey’s official view, which is to leave this topic to historians.

Another fact that we as an institute tried to point out in our previous publications is the reality of the newness of the genocide recognition campaign. Even if people are hardly to convince on historical facts, maybe this fact might open the eyes of some readers. One recent example is the ‘Holocaust Memorial Day’ of the SOAS in London. It is a new development that Armenian historians etc. participate at these days in order to popularise ‘their genocide’.

Within the less Jewish historians, who choose to define the events of 1915 as genocide there still seems to be a definite taboo: they distance themselves from using the term Holocaust instead.[21] This is a significant distinction, which shows the uniqueness of the Holocaust. It further implies that the Holocaust was an organized crime, committed with the purpose of annihilating a certain group of people. Even some Armenians object the use of the term ‘holocaust’ referring to the events of 1915. Richard Hovannisian, who published a book, entitled “The Armenian Holocaust” raised criticism.[22]

Another new trend is the inflation in the use of the term genocide. The columnist Gündüz Aktan states that he didn’t wonder that the participants of the SOAS ‘Holocaust Memorial Day’ commonly described the events of 1915 as genocide, because there was the talk of 50 genocides after WW II.[23] Aktan concludes that this logic leads to the fact that any event, which ends in the death of people, is being considered as genocide. This development raises criticism. If this logic goes on, then we can definitely talk of the inflation of the term.

What one always should consider when using this term is the fact that ‘genocide’ is a legal term, which brings a legal responsibility in terms of international law with it. On the legal definition of the term genocide Dr. Ibrahim Kaya will deal extensively in his article “The Holocaust and the Armenian Case: Highlighting the Main Differences” in this issue of Armenian Research.

As in the last 1-2 years, within the context of the Jewish Holocaust the term ‘holocaust industry’ is being introduced. Maybe it is luckily that this term is used by a Jew, who does not oppose the Holocaust itself but rather the industry deriving from it. Finkelstein is of the opinion that financial benefit is being made via the grief of so many Jews. The exploitation of feelings that leads to financial benefit in the end. Finkelstein further accuses Israel to draw benefit from the Holocaust in order to justify an offensive policy.[24] Setting of from this perspective we can easily say that the Armenians view the Jews, Israel and the Holocaust as a model. This further means that Armenians want to imitate the ‘career’ of the Jews. The Armenians work hard to build up their own holocaust industry. Everything is planned according to the model of the Jews, even the reparation details. A very recent example:

“The Armenian community in the USA is stepping up pressure on a major U.S. insurance company, that is facing a multimillion dollar lawsuit over the unpaid life insurance policies of thousands of Armenians massacred in the Ottoman Empire between 1915 and 1922. Some of the victims’ relatives or beneficiaries accuse the company of unlawful enrichment.”[25]

It is a fact that Armenia is a very poor country, that is looking for ways to get more powerful, respected and wealthy. Finkelstein’s methodology would explain the conduct presented by Armenia. It seems to be the only way for them to show that they (Armenia, Armenians) are existing at all. They did not have this obligation in Soviet times. The question of identity turned out to a problem and a complex of identity for Armenians. “I think therefore I am”[26] is being interpreted as “I experienced genocide, therefore I am” by Armenians. Armenians do not put their cultural heritage or their ancient language in the foreground but only the topic of genocide is being dealt with, especially on the international platform. People, who visited Armenia report that the issue of genocide is not on the agenda there![27] This is not surprising. But as soon as the ‘Turkish – Armenian Reconciliation Commission’ was founded, of which the basic principle was not to discuss the genocide issue, the press in Armenia attacked this respectable attempt. Actually the criticism and attacks by the Armenians were so strong that the Armenian members of the commission couldn’t stand the pressure anymore and resigned from the Commission.[28] 

Jewish and Armenian Lobbies in the USA

The fact of the significance of diverse lobbies in the American congress in decision-making is undoubtable.

“…ethnic lobbies will continue to shape American policy abroad.”[29]

Turkey is directly affected by the decisions supported or favoured by the Greek, Armenian and Jewish lobbies. For the Greek and Armenian lobbies cooperate for decisions opposing Turkish interests. The Jewish lobby, in the light of Turkey’s good relations with Israel, constitutes a counterbalance in some cases to the Armenian and Greek lobbies. The Jewish lobby’s attitude, in connection with the genocide dispute is of a high importance for the small Turkish lobby in the USA and for Turkey. Although within the Jewish Community there are voices that support the similarity of the 1915 events and the Holocaust, in general the Jews seem to distance themselves from this view. The Armenian lobby on the other side tries hardly to find supporters under the Jews. This new development can be summarized in the way that rightist Jews support the Armenian case but leftists ones do not.

Armenians tried hard in the last years to get Israel and the Jewish lobby in the USA on their side. Whenever Armenian officials went to the USA, meetings with the representatives of the Jewish communities were suddenly broadly on the agenda.[30] What is the result of these ambitions of the Armenians? The Jewish community in the USA counts over 6 million, whereas the number of Armenians is around 1 million. Despite the power of both lobbies there is a huge difference in the number. The Washington Post titles them as “two of the best-organized and financed Washington lobbies.”[31] The lobbies’ aim is to act in the interest of their homelands – one should never forget this while evaluating their acts. Although there is difference of a 1 million lobby on the one side and a 6 million lobby on the other side, we can easily say that there was/ is a balance and that both lobbies are quite strong. Within the Congress according the votes of the lobbies weaponry sanctions are initiated or other significant foreign policy/ economic steps are directed. Most recently sanctions on Azerbaijan were stopped with the support of the Jewish Lobby. Traditionally the Greek and Armenian lobbies oppose the selling of military equipment to Turkey, the Jewish lobby supports it; since 1994 Turkey has a deepgoing relationship with Israel in the military field and military equipment is being sold to Turkey in this framework already.[32]

The events of 11th September brought also a new dimension to the lobby activities of the USA. The Jewish lobby might gain in power whereas the Armenian lobby, although it is considered as successful in financial means, is not considered as successful in political means:

“…and the Armenian lobby has made Armenia one of the highest per capita recipients of U.S. aid, but neither has disrupted close U.S. security ties with the Turkish government…

The Jewish lobby succeeds partly because it is pushing on an open door – it advocates policies that most Americans favor on the merits. Conversely, Armenian Americans cannot persuade Congress to criticize Turkey for refusing to apologize for the Armenian genocide during and after WWI because oil companies, defense contractors, and the U.S. military have joined to fend off a policy that jeopardizes their considerable interests in Ankara.”[33]

Armenian lobbies’ strong financial support is being dealt with in a book to be published in April by Samuel A. Weems. He states that Armenia, via the lobbying activities of Armenians in the U.S.A. received about 1.4 billion Dollars. Besides this Weems also explains that the lobbying efforts of the Armenian Americans to establish a pipeline route via Armenia will fail out of several reasons.[34]

Conclusion

Armenia failed in her ambitions to convince Israel to recognize the so called genocide. Armenia officially addressed Israel to recognize the genocide. This attempt not only failed but Armenians even got a dressing down, because Israel made a complete opposing statement.   

Armenia wants to stress her geostrategic location and introduced the term of the ”northern extension of the Middle East”, which should have had an attractiveness for Israel. Israel is a potential consumer of the Caspian oil, which constitutes another reason for Armenia to aim close relations with Israel and to promote the pipeline route via Armenia. 

The balance of this triangle is of a high importance to Turkey. The genocide claims of the Armenians occupy more and more Turkey’s foreign policy agenda. Therefore it is strategically necessary that Turkey finds partners, or strengthens her relations to already existing partners, to be able to oppose these claims on the international platform more effectively.

Israel experienced herself being accused of genocide at the World Conference on Racism in Durban/ South Africa. Over 3000 NGO’s signed a proclamation, stating that Israel is applying racist policies and is practicing ethnic cleansing and genocide. Zionism was set equal to racism.[35] After such an experience it is not to expect that Israel would easily declare another country for committing genocide.

The most important facts for Israel not recognizing a genocide are firstly that the Jewish people experienced Holocaust in the past, which makes them capable of qualifying events in a detailed way to decide whether it was a genocide or a Holocaust or not. In this respect Jews are the best jury to decide on this issue and if this jury has made a decision (it did!), we can be sure about it that it is a reliable decision. The second reason, why Israel would not be a tool in this discussion, is her excellent relations with Turkey. Israel has much more advantages of being closed to Turkey rather than being close to Armenia, with which not only the economic benefit is meant. Besides the USA, Israel is the closest military ally of Turkey. Still the relations didn’t reach its final highest point yet. The relations are growing, extending to other fields etc. 

Therefore it is more realistic to expect Armenia restraining from her policy rather than Israel changing her policy in this issue. The latest development of the Israeli Ambassador to Georgia and Armenia showed (again) openly Israel’s straight opinion of not accepting the genocide allegations directed to Turkey. The trend after September 11th shows that the Jewish lobby in the USA will strengthen. The USA are giving open signals for the peaceful solution of the Nagorno-Karabagh conflict. All these development can be interpreted as being in the same line with Turkey’s policies. There are a lot of reasons for Armenia to distance herself from the genocide allegations in order to start a normal relationship with Turkey, which will be of advantage for Armenia. The past policies of Armenia lead the country openly to an isolation. Turkey showed her good will in starting the visa procedures at the borders for Armenian citizens. This system was frozen when France accepted a law, recognizing a genocide. The time for a change of Armenia’s policies is ripe, too.