Author: Andres-Papazian

NewsWise.com
June 9 2010

Dr. Art Sedrakyan to Lead New Comparative Effectiveness Program at WCMC & HSS

Released: 6/9/2010 3:35 PM EDT
Source: NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical
Center/Weill Cornell Medical College

Dr. Art Sedrakyan Joins Weill Cornell Medical College and Hospital for
Special Surgery to Lead Comparative Effectiveness Initiative

Studies to Focus on Benefits of Cardiothoracic and Orthopedic Devices
for Patients

Newswise ‘ A leading authority in comparative effectiveness research,
Dr. Art Sedrakyan has been appointed director of a new collaborative
program in comparative effectiveness research (CER) based in the
Department of Public Health at Weill Cornell Medical College. The
program’s research portfolio will initially focus on devices, drugs
and alternative approaches for the management of orthopedic conditions
and cardiovascular diseases, with the intent of using this to build a
comprehensive program in comparative effectiveness research for the
entire medical center.

The initial partners for this program are Hospital for Special Surgery
(HSS), the Weill Cornell Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, and the
Dean’s Office at Weill Cornell Medical College. Dr. Sedrakyan’s
primary faculty appointment is in the Department of Public Health at
Weill Cornell Medical College. He holds joint appointments in the
Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery and the Research Division of HSS.

As a result of the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, $1.1
billion of new federal funding has been designated for comparative
effectiveness research, which involves studies aimed at identifying
which treatments provide the greatest benefit to different patient
groups, ultimately to improve care for all patients.

Known for his medical, academic, research and regulatory expertise,
Dr. Sedrakyan previously served as a medical officer and
commissioner’s fellow at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Center
for Devices and Radiological Health, and as senior service officer and
senior adviser at the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
(AHRQ) Center for Outcomes and Evidence. (The FDA and AHRQ are
divisions of the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services.)

While at AHRQ, Dr. Sedrakyan was the program officer working with the
Weill Cornell Department of Public Health and HSS on the institutions’
Centers for Education and Research on Therapeutics (CERT) grant, which
supports research into the outcomes and cost-effectiveness of medical
and orthopedic
devices. He also initiated the Effective Healthcare Cardiovascular
Consortium that conducted and funded some of the first linkages of
national cardiovascular and
administrative databases and collaborative outcomes studies.

“Comparative effectiveness research is essential both to improve
health care quality and address the issue of spiraling costs in ways
that incorporate clinical perspectives and concerns,” says Dr. Alvin
I. Mushlin, chairman of the Department of Public Health and the
Nanette Laitman Distinguished Professor of Public Health and professor
of medicine at Weill Cornell Medical College, public health
physician-in-chief at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell
Medical Center, and principal investigator on the Weill Cornell/HSS
CERT grant. “I have had the pleasure of working closely with Dr.
Sedrakyan and am confident that his extensive experience and
successful track record make him the ideal choice to lead this
initiative.”

“We are extremely fortunate to have someone of the stature of Dr.
Sedrakyan to lead this joint research endeavor,” says Dr. Steven
Goldring, chief scientific officer and St. Giles Chair at Hospital for
Special Surgery, and professor of medicine at Weill Cornell Medical
College. “Under his leadership, our two institutions have the
opportunity to collaborate and demonstrate our commitment to clinical
research and quality outcomes to improve patient care.”

“I am very pleased that Dr. Sedrakyan will be leading this important
and timely new joint initiative,” says Dr. Antonio M. Gotto Jr., the
Stephen and Suzanne Weiss Dean of Weill Cornell Medical College. “I
personally look forward to our planned work together in the field of
lipid-lowering therapy, and I wholeheartedly support the mission of
the entire collaborative program.”

“I am honored to be given this appointment by these two extraordinary
institutions,” says Dr. Sedrakyan. “This is a wonderful opportunity
since comparative effectiveness research is increasingly being
recognized as vital to the improvement of health care by the federal
government as well as the medical and scientific communities.”

Dr. Sedrakyan received his medical degree from the Yerevan State
Medical University in Yerevan, Armenia, and completed a residency in
cardiac surgery in a combined program between the Institute of
Surgery/Armenia and the St. Joseph Medical Center in Patterson, N.J.
He received a doctor of science degree in cardiovascular
medical/surgical sciences from the National Research Center of Surgery
of the Academy of Medical Sciences in Moscow, Russia, followed by a
Robert Wood Johnson postdoctoral fellowship in epidemiology and public
health at the Yale University School of Medicine. In 2008 he was
awarded a Ph.D. in health policy and management from the Bloomberg
School of Public Health at Johns Hopkins University. Prior to his
appointments at the Department of Health and Human Services, he held
faculty positions at the Royal College
of Surgeons of England and London School of Hygiene and Tropical
Medicine. He was also a Methodology Adviser to the National
Collaborating Center for Acute Care, part of the National Institute
for Clinical Excellence in the U.K. He has received numerous honors
and published extensively in peer-reviewed journals. His professional
memberships include the Evidence-Based Surgery Workgroup of the
Society of Thoracic Surgery and the Council of Epidemiology and
Prevention of the American Heart Association.

Hospital for Special Surgery

Founded in 1863, Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) is a world leader
in orthopedics, rheumatology and rehabilitation. HSS is nationally
ranked No. 2 in orthopedics, No. 3 in rheumatology and No. 24 in
neurology by U.S.News & World Report (2009), has received Magnet
Recognition for Excellence in Nursing Service from the American Nurses
Credentialing Center and has one of the lowest infection rates in the
country. From 2007 to 2010, HSS was a recipient of the HealthGrades
Joint Replacement Excellence Award. A member of the
NewYork-Presbyterian Healthcare System and an affiliate of Weill
Cornell Medical College, HSS provides orthopedic and rheumatologic
patient care at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital at New York Weill
Cornell Medical Center. All Hospital for Special Surgery medical staff
are on the faculty of Weill Cornell Medical College. The hospital’s
research division is internationally recognized as a leader in the
investigation of musculoskeletal and autoimmune diseases. Hospital for
Special Surgery is located in New York City and online at

Weill Cornell Medical College
Weill Cornell Medical College, Cornell University’s medical school
located in New York City, is committed to excellence in research,
teaching, patient care and the advancement of the art and science of
medicine, locally, nationally and globally. Physicians and scientists
of Weill Cornell Medical College are engaged in cutting-edge research
from bench to bedside, aimed at unlocking mysteries of the human body
in health and sickness and toward developing new treatments and
prevention strategies. In its commitment to global health and
education, Weill Cornell has a strong presence in places such as
Qatar, Tanzania, Haiti, Brazil, Austria and Turkey. Through the
historic Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar, the Medical College
is the first in the U.S. to offer its M.D. degree overseas. Weill
Cornell is the birthplace of many medical advances — including the
development of the Pap test for cervical cancer, the synthesis of
penicillin, the first successful embryo-biopsy pregnancy and birth in
the U.S., the first clinical trial of gene therapy for Parkinson’s
disease, and most recently, the world’s first successful use of deep
brain stimulation to treat a minimally conscious brain-injured
patient. Weill Cornell Medical College is affiliated with
NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, where its faculty provides
comprehensive patient care at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill
Cornell Medical Center. The Medical College is also affiliated with
the Methodist Hospital in Houston, making Weill Cornell one of only
two medical colleges in the country affiliated with two U.S.News &
World Report Honor Roll hospitals. For more information, visit

From: A. Papazian

Trend, Azerbaijan
June 9 2010

Stratfor center head: U.S-Azerbaijan relations are not as good as they can be
09.06.2010 17:50
Azerbaijan, Baku, June 9 / Trend M. Aliyev /

Relations between Azerbaijan and the U.S are not as good as they could
be, the U.S analytic center Stratfor president, professor George
Friedman said.

“The U.S. is concerned about many other issues. It has no opportunity
to deal with this issue thoroughly [the issue of Azerbaijan-U.S
relations]. But the United States is grateful to Azerbaijan for
assistance in Iraq and Afghanistan. The U.S. will attach greater
importance to the regional issues that are important for Azerbaijan in
future,” he told media in Baku.

He said that the U.S. does not pay enough attention to the
U.S-Azerbaijan relations, as it is engaged in such issues as the
crisis between Turkey and Israel, Iran, Afghanistan. But the United
States does not forget about its real partner.

Answering the question about the Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict, Friedman said that the U.S. does not clearly understand the
situation with the occupied Azerbaijani territories and
Nagorno-Karabakh.

“Unfortunately, the U.S. also can not fully appreciate the importance
of Azerbaijan”, he said.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988
when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Armenian
armed forces have occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan since 1992,
including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and 7 surrounding districts.
Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994.

The co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group – Russia, France, and the U.S. –
are currently holding the peace negotiations.

Armenia has not yet implemented the U.N. Security Council’s
resolutions on the liberation of the Nagorno-Karabakh region and the
occupied territories.

From: A. Papazian

news.az, Azerbaijan
June 9 2010

Turkish expert buries Zurich protocols
Wed 09 June 2010 | 13:55 GMT Text size:

The Turkish expert has commented on Azerbaijan’s position on the
Turkish-Israeli incident and the state of Turkish-Armenian relations.

“In the matter of Turkish-Israeli relations, we are fully satisfied
with the position of Azerbaijan, which supported Turkey on the highest
level. As for the relations between Israel and Azerbaijan, in
particular the energy sector, if Azerbaijan decides to deliver its gas
to Israel, no one can oppose this, as this is a purely commercial
matter’, head of the Center for Strategic Studies in Turkey Cem Oguz
told in his interview with NTV channel.

According to 1news.az, he said the policies should be clearly
separated from commerce. Every country acts as it benefits.

As for the Armenian-Turkish protocols C.Oguz said that because of the
unconstructive position of Armenia “these protocols are almost dead
and there is no hope for their resurrection.”

“We want good relations with our neighbors and if ever Armenia resumes
its constructive attitude on the Karabakh issue, and on the
`genocide’, then we can again extend a hand to her. And today I see no
prospect of improving relations between our two countries “, he said.

1news.az

From: A. Papazian

Aysor, Armenia
June 9 2010

Nalbandian and Lavrov had a phone talk

Yesterday the Armenian FM Edward Nalbandian had a phone conversation
with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov, few minutes ago informed
the press and information department of the Armenian Foreign Ministry.

During the conversation they have discussed issues concerning the
Armenian ` Russian relations; they have also exchanged thoughts about
regional agenda which presents bilateral interest.

From: A. Papazian

Radio Netherlands
June 9 2010

Can there be reconciliation without recognition?

Published on : 9 June 2010 – 2:48pm | By Robin van Wechem (RNW)

Almost a hundred years after the mass killing of over a million
Armenians by the Ottoman Empire, the subject is still an open wound
for both Armenians and Turks.

While most scholars agree that what happened in 1915 constitutes a
genocide, Turkey refuses to accept the term, in part, says sociologist
Samantha Power, because they “don’t want to be put in the same company
as Hitler.” For Armenians, though, acknowledgment is a necessary first
step towards coming to terms with the past.

The fourth instalment of “The Circle of Genocide” film and debate
series was about reconciliation and coming to terms in the aftermath
of mass violence. The controversial case of the Armenian genocide
served as the starting point for the evening’s discussion, organised
by Radio Netherlands Worldwide and the Centre for Holocaust and
Genocide Studies.

The evening began with a screening of the 2006 PBS documentary “The
Armenian Genocide” – which laid out the events of 1915 and strongly
criticised Turkey for failing to recognize the events as a genocide.

And we’d like to know what you think. Is it ever possible for victims
and perpetrators to reconcile after a genocide or mass killing? If so,
what conditions need to be met before a society can start to heal its
wounds?

From: A. Papazian

Politico
June 9 2010

Turkey, the enemy?

Eli Lake reports that American Jewish groups are ending their role as
a key ally of Turkish interests, an alliance whose highest-profile
role came in helping Turkey block votes on an Armenian genocide
resolution.

The alliance has fallen apart over Turkish support for the Gaza
flotilla, and the anger with which pro-Israel legislators have turned
on Turkey is hard to overstate. A reader sends a clipping from New
York Rep. Jerry Nadler’s recent interview with the Orthodox Jewish
newspaper Hamodia (which doesn’t have a website):

“Turkey has not been an ally [of Israel] for some time; Turkey has
been an enemy of [Israel] as far as I am concerned, not necessarily of
the United States, but they are getting there,” Nadler said.

From: A. Papazian

examiner.com
June 9 2010

13th CD: Turkey-Israel flap roils race
June 9, 9:31 AMStaten Island Independent Examiner, John Signoriello

13th CD GOP congressional candidate Michael Allegretti believes
incumbent Democratic Congressman Michael McMahon needs to get his
priorities straight regarding Turkey and Israel, meaning he ought to
stop favoring Turkey.

`McMahon as a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee has made a
judgment that receiving campaign cash from the Turkish lobby is more
important than doing what is right,’ Allegretti’s Campaign Manager Ray
Riley stated in a press release issued earlier this week.

That press release was headlined:

ALLEGRETTI CALLS ON MCMAHON TO SUPPORT ISRAEL AND AMERICA’S INTERESTS

With a kicker:

McMahon Focuses On Re-election Cash And Not America’s Interests

“McMahon’s statement on the `Vigil for Gaza Convoy’ is an example of
how McMahon has lost his objectivity on this issue,” Mr. Riley said.

Michael Allegretti’s Campaign Manager was referring to a statement
issued by Rep. McMahon after opponents of the Israeli blockade staged
a vigil for the Gaza convoy outside his Staten Island office.

That statement read in part:

`Just as America protects its borders, Israel–and any other
country–has the right to maintain and defend its own borders.

“Despite what Hamas supporters may be claiming now, Monday’s incident
wasn’t about bringing in supplies. It was about provoking Israel, a
country whose people have been subject to countless terrorist attacks
from Hamas supporters in the Gaza Strip.

`Since Israel instituted its Gaza blockade, these attacks have
dramatically decreased,” Rep. McMahon added, “and it is not hard to
see how the Israeli government would perceive the flotilla’s actions
as a direct confrontation.

“I fully support a transparent investigation by the Israeli government
as to why these deaths occurred,” Rep. McMahon concluded, evidently
ruling out support for a United Nations inquiry.”

Mr. Riley was unimpressed by what others might see as as a fairly
unequivocal statement.

`It is a statement written to say nothing, as McMahon tries to keep
the campaign cash flowing,’ he stated

`McMahon’s Washington office has been an open door to lobbyists
representing Turkey. They even held a high dollar fundraiser for him
on March 27th, twenty-three days after he voted against HR 252, the
Armenian Genocide resolution in the House Foreign Relations
Committee.”

Mr. Riley was referring to House Foreign Affairs Committee approval of
a resolution earlier this year which labeled Turkey’s early
20th-century atrocities against the Armenian people as ‘genocide.’

Eighteen NY and NJ legislators co-sponsored the U.S. House resolution,
including NY Reps Charles Rangel and Anthony Weiner.

A similar resolution is pending in the Senate, where NY Senator
Charles Schumer is a co-sponsor.

The measure passed by a 23-22 vote in committee.

Minutes after the vote, Turkey withdrew its ambassador to the U.S.

Congressman McMahon, a member of the House committee, opposed the resolution.

“If HR 252 is passed and Turkey decides to close its border to our
troops in Iraq or remove its $100 million investment in Afghanistan,
our armed forces will be forced to take longer, more dangerous routes
to and from Iraq, exposing them to a greater possibility of attack and
longer deployments,” Rep. McMahon stated at the time.

Turkey is the critical passageway for our troops to Iraq, he
explained, shortening travel time and reducing the risk of an IED
attack.

“Furthermore, as a critical Muslim NATO ally and partner in
Afghanistan, we rely on Turkey to protect our troops as part of the
broader Afghan reconstruction effort.”

Former Presidents Jimmy Carter, George Bush I, Bill Clinton and George
Bush II have all opposed a similar resolution based on similar
arguments, Rep.McMahon pointed out, while Secretary of Defense Robert
Gates, under both the Bush and Obama Administrations, has warned
against the passage of the resolution.

“If Turkey decides to withdraw its support for the US mission in Iraq
and Afghanistan, I know that my visits to Walter Reed and Arlington
will only increase,” Rep. McMahon stated. “Even with my profound
sympathy for the families of those who perished during the Ottoman
Empire, I cannot responsibly risk such a possibility.”

Michael Allegretti favored the resolution.

`I urge the members of the House Foreign Relations to stand-up and
recognize the genocide which took place between 1915-1923,” Mr.
Allegretti stated. “It is unspeakable that one and a half million
Armenians lost their lives in an effort to erase them from their
homeland. Passage of this resolution would be a positive step for the
region.”

Rep. McMahon called Allegretti’s position “reckless, irresponsible and
a serious threat to U.S. national security and the safety of our Armed
Forces.”

Israel is America’s strongest ally in the Middle East and the rhetoric
coming from the leaders in Turkey is increasingly antagonistic and
unconstructive, Mr. Riley said, in his recent press release.

The current Turkish government led by Prime Minister Erodogan was one
of the first to recognize Hamas as the legitimate government in Gaza,
Mr. Riley noted, and Mr. Erodogan’s Foreign Minister, Ahmet Davutoglu,
has proposed that Turkey loosen its ties with Western countries such
as the U.S., and organizations like NATO and the European Union.

For decades during the Cold War, Turkey was a strong ally of the U.S.
as an important member of NATO, Mr. Riley stated; however, in recent
years, driven by internal self-interest and politics, Turkey has
started to support terrorist organizations such as Hamas, and the
Assad regime in Syria.

“Turkey recently cut a deal with Iran to help enrich uranium,” Mr.
Riley stated, “and Turkey’s embrace of Hamas has put the U.S. and its
other regional allies, including Egypt and Saudi Arabia, in a very
difficult position.

“Rep. McMahon’s no vote on the resolution, which would have condemned
Ottoman Turkey for massacring 1.5 million Armenian’s during World War
I, was called ‘morally-blind’ by the chairman of McMahon’s committee,
who is a fellow Democrat,” Mr. Riley noted.

Jennifer Nelson, Rep. McMahon’s campaign spokesperson, was quick to
defend the congressman’s record regarding Israel during his first full
term in Congress:

“Congressman McMahon has a 100% voting record in support of the State
of Israel and firmly believes in Israel’s right to defend herself. He
has called Turkey’s support for the flotilla wrong and provocative,”
she said, adding:

“Turkey, though, remains a member of NATO, and is the frontline
country in our re-deployment of troops from Iraq allowing soldiers and
equipment to cross a land border.”

Ms Nelson made the following points:

¢ Turkey is a critical part of our mission in Afghanistan and has
committed troops on the ground.
¢ Turkey is one of only three Muslim majority countries to recognize Israel

“The Congressman has encouraged the Secretary of State to travel to
both Turkey and Israel to calm tensions and to reiterate that for
Turkey to receive the support of the United States, we need the
Turkish Government to support our strategic interests,” Ms Nelson
said.

“It is unfortunate that Mr. Allegretti wants to play politics with
such a grave issue, but what he is really doing is putting US troops
at risk with his careless rhetoric,” she added.

From: A. Papazian

Aysor, Armenia
June 9 2010

Austrian Foreign Minister to visit Armenia

The newly appointed Austrian Ambassador to Armenia Michael Postl
presented Wednesday his Credentials to Armenia’s President Serzh
Sargsyan, a spokesperson to Armenian State Administration said.

Armenian President said he attaches great importance to expanding of
bilateral relations with Austria and expressed confidence that Michael
Postl will contribute to development of relations between the two
countries. According to President Sargsyan, the relations can also be
developed within the framework of EU programmes and bilateral
projects.

Ambassador Postl said of the upcoming visit of Austrian Foreign
Minister to Armenia that aims at determination of new cooperation
programmes, especially in spheres of culture and economy.

Parties shared views on items of Armenia-Turkey relations and
settlement to the Karabakh conflict. Ambassador Postl said that
Austria is ready to promote Armenia in European integration,
settlement to the Karabakh conflict and normalisation of relations
with Turkey.

From: A. Papazian

Der Spiegel, Germany
June 9 2010

Bound for Gaza: German-Jewish Boat to Challenge Israeli Blockade

By Charles Hawley

A group of German Jews has stepped up efforts to send a humanitarian
mission to the Gaza Strip in defiance of the Israeli sea blockade.
Increasingly, it looks as though the group will have plenty of
competition. The waters off Gaza promise to be busy this summer.

For years, the waters just off the coast of the Gaza Strip have been
relatively quiet. Ever since Israel imposed an air, land and sea
blockade on the region following the ascent of Hamas to power in 2007,
fewer and fewer visitors have risked the trip. Even the local fishing
industry has suffered mightily.

Now, though, a little over a week after the Israeli raid on an aid
flotilla bound for Gaza City — an operation which resulted in 9 dead
and global condemnation of Israel — sea-going traffic looks as though
it might soon pick up. Several groups have threatened to send ships to
test the Israeli blockade, among them a group of Jewish activists
based in Germany.

“We want to break the Gaza occupation and end the occupation of the
West Bank as well,” Kate Katzenstein-Leiterer, a member of the
executive committee of the European Jews for a Just Peace, which is
organizing the mission, told SPIEGEL ONLINE. “We as Jews want to bring
the Palestinians something other than bombs.”

Donations Flooding In

She says that between eight and 16 people will be on board the boat,
which plans to sail in mid-July. The ship, whose current location in
the Mediterranean is being kept secret, will be carrying school
supplies, musical instruments, children’s clothing and “stuff for
children that Israel has forbidden, such as sweets and chocolates.”

The idea for the project is not new. The group, made up of
pro-Palestinian Jews in Germany and around Europe, began collecting
funds for their mission in 2008. But the Israeli raid on a flotilla of
aid ships early last week has increased both interest in the project
and the likelihood that it will become a reality. Donations, says
Katzenstein-Leiterer, have been flooding in since the May 31 raid.

It has also, however, demonstrated that such a mission could be
dangerous. “Because of what happened, we are quite concerned,” said
Katzenstein-Leiterer. “We are afraid that we too could become involved
in a clash, which we don’t want. We will not use violence.”

Still, by the time they arrive in the waters off the coast of the Gaza
Strip, there is reason to believe that Israeli patience toward
attempts at breaking the Gaza blockade may have worn thin. In addition
to the German-Jewish group, others have also indicated their interest
in sending ships to the Gaza Strip. The Iranian government announced
Monday it would send two ships, loaded with humanitarian goods from
the Iranian Red Crescent, to Gaza this summer. The head of Iran’s
Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said that the Iranian navy is
prepared to escort the ships. Turkey — whose foreign minister Ahmet
Davutoglu recently called the Israeli operation “Turkey’s September
11” — has also indicated its interest in sending more ships to Gaza
in the near future.

Calming Frayed Nerves

Israel has vowed to continue its blockade of the Gaza Strip,
reiterating its concern that Iran, in particular, seeks to smuggle
weapons and munitions to the Islamist militants of Hamas. Still,
Israeli officials said on Wednesday that the country was expanding the
list of food items being allowed into the territory, the first small
sign that Israel wishes to calm global nerves frayed by the raid.

Additionally the National Union of Israeli Students is hoping to be
able to send 300 yachts and two ships toward Turkey with the aim of
intercepting any additional aid ships and engaging them in dialogue.

“We will tell them that if they want to help Gaza’s residents, we will
be happy to deliver their aid,” reads the group’s press release. “We
would also like to (discuss) the Armenian issue and the problem of the
Kurdish minority in Turkey.”

European Jews for a Just Peace, for their part, are also interested in
dialogue and have twice tried contacting the Israeli Embassy in Berlin
to discuss their impending aid shipment. So far, says
Katzenstein-Leiterer, they haven’t received a response.

,1518,699714,00.html

From: A. Papazian

Yeshiva World News, Israel
June 9 2010

Professors Want Action Against Turkey

(Wednesday, June 9th, 2010)

As Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan continues playing the
world’s champion of human rights, four professors from Bar Ilan and
Georgetown Universities have sent a letter to Prime Minister Binyamin
Netanyahu seeking official Israeli recognition of the Armenian
genocide and an official call to Turkey to bring an end to its
occupation of Cyprus.

Signing the letter are Professors Yossi Katz, David Tzuriel, and
Yaakov Katz, all from Bar Ilan and Dr. Ofir Yisraeli from Georgetown.

In the letter, they decry Turkey’s `hypocrisy’, pointing out that
despite the many agreements signed between Israel and Turkey, the
latter is rapidly become an adversary of Israel.

The academics feel that over the years, Israel has refrained from
addressing the slaughter of Armenians during World War I and
immediately thereafter, opting to place strategic ties with Turkey
over doing the correct thing, but now, Israel can indeed adopt a
morally commendable position towards compelling Turkey to accept
responsibility for its actions.

They area also calling to demand that Turkey make painful concessions
regarding its ongoing occupation, including autonomy for the Kurds
located in southeastern Turkey.

The professors urge the prime minister to adopt their position,
implementing the new rules of play as Turkey has done. They point out
that such a step is critical towards revealing Turkey’s hypocrisy to
the world following the Gaza flotilla incident and Turkey’s
self-portrayal as a champion of peace and justice.

(Yechiel Spira ` YWN Israel)

From: A. Papazian