Author: Maghakian Mike

=4/b/viii/081120071
Blame the Jews

InfoIsrael
9 November 2007

By Steve Kramer

Once again the Jews are being blamed, this time by the Turks. On 10
October 2007, the 48-member US House Committee on Foreign Affairs
resolved that the Ottoman Empire committed genocide against its
Armenian citizens during WWI (resolution 106). Of the eight Jews (17%
of the membership) on the committee, seven voted for the
resolution. Though the resolution was later tabled, the Jerusalem Post
headlined "Turkey blames American Jews for [the] genocide bill". (24
October) The issue of whether or not genocide against the Armenians
was carried out more than ninety years ago by the defunct Ottoman
Empire is still disputed. This article addresses the need to speak
truth to history as well as the need to face the realpolitik of
survival, as my friend Stephen Schwartz has noted.

It isn’t well known that about 600,000 Muslim Turkish civilians died
as a result of massacres or inhumane conditions during WWI, alongside
the estimated half a million to 1.5 million Christian Armenian
victims. In total, the Ottoman Empire sustained 4 million civilian
deaths, five times more than their total military deaths. For those
who want to delve behind the headlines, there is a huge amount of
pertinent material on this subject on the Internet. Eminent
historians, like Middle East expert Bernard Lewis, characterize the
deaths of the Christian Armenians as a brutal byproduct of war. He
also said, "The reality of the Armenian genocide results from nothing
more than the imagination of the Armenian people." [November 1993, Le
Monde newspaper] On 21 June 1995 a Parisian court interpreted Lewis’
remarks as a denial of the Armenian Genocide and fined him one
franc. (There’s a message there.)

Questioning the validity of an Armenian genocide is not the equivalent
of Holocaust denial. The Holocaust happened to be the first modern
genocide, authenticated by eye witness accounts, documents, pictures,
films and millions of survivors’ statements. But there were numerous
other genocides which preceded it. For example, estimates of the
genocide of the native inhabitants of the Congo at the end of the 19th
century, perpetrated by King Leopold of Belgium, range from 3 million
dead to ten times that figure.

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi has not vowed to right this
undisputed, grievous wrong against Africans. So, why did the Speaker
of the House vow to bring this controversial issue to the full House
for a vote? Given the huge amount of material on both sides of the
issue, disputing the veracity of the "Armenian genocide" is nothing
like Holocaust denial. Since the Ottoman Empire ceased to exist ninety
years ago, there are no living perpetrators to be punished. The
resolution, even if it had been passed by Congress, would have had
little effect on anyone. Did Nancy Pelosi have something personal to
gain from pursuing this particular issue?

Undoubtedly, the committee’s vote has muddied the waters between
America and Turkey, which is a vital ally for America in both NATO and
the war in Iraq. The vote has also soured relations between Israel and
its crucial and only Muslim ally, Turkey. (Egypt and Jordan are
certainly not allies of Israel.) I believe some overzealous Jews in
America have blundered, trading a probably meaningless resolution for
a worsened partnership between important allies.

You might think that I’m borrowing a page from the notorious
professors Walt and Mearsheimer, whose thesis in The Jewish Lobby is
that a monolithic Jewish lobby "has a far-reaching impact on America’s
posture throughout the Middle East – in Iraq, Iran, Lebanon, and
toward the Israeli-Palestinian conflict – and the policies it has
encouraged are in neither America’s national interest nor Israel’s
long-term interest. The lobby’s influence also affects America’s
relationship with important allies and increases dangers that all
states face from global jihadist terror." [from the Publishers Weekly
review at Amazon.com].

On the contrary. I certainly don’t agree that

by that is hurting America and Israel’s interests. My contention is
simply that American Jews can’t celebrate their disproportionate clout
in academia, the sciences, entertainment and politics without
considering that what American Jews think, write about and do is very
significant and reverberates around the world.

The recent kerfuffle in Boston over the subject of Armenian genocide
is an example of the "blame the Jews" syndrome at work. The New
England chapter of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) reacted to
pressure from the strong Armenian lobby in the Boston metropolitan
area and distanced itself from the national ADL posture, which was to
remain noncommittal on the issue. Following much adverse publicity
concerning the firing of the New England regional director Andrew
H. Tarcy, ADL head Abraham Foxman reinstated him and officially
acknowledged the genocide of Armenians at the hands of Ottoman Turks.

Soon after, it was reported that "Senior Israeli and American Jewish
officials went out of their way to restate Jerusalem’s long-held view
that the historical dispute should be resolved between Turkey and
Armenia, a position shared by Washington as well as most major
American Jewish organizations. The ADL itself tried to calm tensions
by issuing a statement opposing a congressional resolution recognizing
that a genocide took place and by sending a letter to Turkish Prime
Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan expressing ‘deep regret’ and the desire
to ‘deepen our friendship.” [Jewish Daily Forward, 29 August]

Jews in America are a force to be reckoned with despite their low
numbers. Jews are about 2% of the population, but 13% of the Senate
and 7% of the House are Jewish. Jewish voters are targeted in large
urban states by Democrats and Republicans. We all know that there are
numerous Jewish academics, scientists, economists, entrepreneurs,
writers and media personalities (on stage and behind the
scenes). Naturally, Jews like to bask in the glow of their
accomplishments. Equally, they must consider the consequences of
taking sides in questionable disputes that may have negative
consequences for America and/or Israel.

Despite the efforts of the leaders of most American Jewish
organizations, who understand what’s at stake for Israel vis a vis
Turkey, some damage has been done. A group of well-intentioned
American Jews have ignored realpolitik and succumbed to their liberal
tendency to "right wrongs". In this case, resolution 106 is tabled and
is therefore legally meaningless. Nevertheless, it has set the Turkish
government and the Turkish people against Israel for "legitimizing"
the genocide claims against Turks. American Jews need to use their
influence in a more sophisticated, calculating way than in this
instance. Sometimes it’s better to leave well enough alone.

Source: Article submitted by the author
Article to be posted in the S.J.J.T., 9 November 2007
Edited by IHC staff,
Published 8 November 2007

LEBANON RETAINS CHRISTIAN-MUSLIM POWER SHARING
Renee Montagne

NPR
November 9, 2007

(Because of intense interest in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict,
NPR makes available free transcripts of its coverage. View related
web coverage or listen to the audio for this story)

During Lebanon’s wars stretching back to the 1970s, waves of
Lebanese fled their country, many of them heading to the United
States. And that’s affected all of Lebanon’s often-feuding religious
groups. Christians used to represent about one half of Lebanon’s
population. Now Christians are an ever smaller minority, but they
still have as much political power as the growing Muslim majority.

The most visible sign of Christian power is the presidency. It’s
always held by a member of Lebanon’s unique Maronite Christian
community. As parliament struggles to meet a deadline this month to
select a new president, Christians and many Muslims support keeping
the old outdated power-sharing arrangement.

NPR’s Peter Kenyon reports from Beirut in this final installment of
a three-part series on the Christians of Lebanon.

PETER KENYON: In Lebanon these days, it seems there are some questions
people would rather not know the answer to. For example, how many
Christians are living in Lebanon today, or for that matter, how many
Sunni or Shiite Muslims? In many countries, this would be basic public
information, but here there hasn’t been an official census since 1932.

One man who studies the issue carefully is Jawad Adra, a research
consultant and managing partner of Information International in
Beirut. One of his recent surveys found 30 percent of Lebanese
youth responding that they would like to leave Lebanon. Those numbers
represent people of all religions, but because of their low birth rate
and other factors, Christians are feeling the impact of emigration
more severely than Muslims.

Adra says Lebanon’s studied silence about its population isn’t
surprising when you consider the political pressures that might come
into play if the census were conducted.

Mr. JAWAD ADRA (Research Consultant): Because Lebanon, when it
was first established in the 1920s, it was really established as a
Christian, particularly Maronite faith. This was the raison d’être
of Lebanon. So they all had some kind of an agreement that Lebanon
is Christian. The Muslims agreed and went along with this. And they
all said, okay, let’s not find out.

KENYON: Even without official numbers, though, Adra says the trends are
clear for anyone who cares to find out. Barring some major unforeseen
demographic shift, Adra says Christians, who were the majority here
for much of the last century, may well become a tiny minority before
the next century begins.

Mr. ADRA: We did a study which shows that perhaps 75 years from now
there will be almost maybe six percent Marionite left in Lebanon,
because they are an aging community. You know, when you look at the
fertility rate and so on, you will find out that it is higher among
the Sunni and the Shiite than it is among the Christians.

KENYON: In other words, the gap between the Muslim and Christian
populations in Lebanon will not only grow, it will accelerate over
time.

Mr. JEROME SHAHIN(ph) (Economist): (Through translator) We are at
the moment at a very, very difficult stage; in fact, one of the worst
stages in history that we’ve been.

KENYON: For economist Jerome Shahin, who’s been studying demographic
issues for some 20 years, the coming domination of Lebanon’s population
by Muslims raises troubling questions, the primary one being can
Lebanon’s unique power-sharing political arrangement survive?

Mr. SHAHIN: (Through translator) Lebanon, in fact, is the only
country in the Arab world where the Christians and the Muslims are
approximately equal.

So it’s a laboratory for coexistence for the rest of the Arab world.

KENYON: Professor Samir Khalaf at the American University in Beirut
says while disputes in Lebanon tend to be over power and influence, not
theology, there is an atmosphere of unease among Lebanese Christians
today as they watch the increasing Islamification of the Arab world
around them.

Dr. SAMIR KHALAF (American University, Beirut): And they look around
and they see what has happened to Copts in Egypt, what happened to
Armenians in Turkey, what is happening to Christians in Palestine,
and Christians in Syria, and Christians in Iraq. And the numbers are
staggering. And essentially they say, you know, are we next?

KENYON: Historian Kamal Salibi says the genius of Lebanon’s awkward,
maddening and frequently dysfunctional system of government is that
it compels Lebanon’s 18 confessions to cooperate, enforcing that
cooperation by simply collapsing whenever one side grows too powerful.

In that light, Salibi says, it’s clear that Lebanese Christians are
needed not because they have some special gift for coexistence; there’s
more than enough blood on Christian hands to debunk that myth. It’s
just that they have to play their political role, whether or not
their population justifies it, to keep the system clattering along.

Mr. KAMAL SALIBI (Historian): It’s not that the Christians are bastions
of freedom. What’s important about the Christians is simply their
presence; their presence, real or imagined, will serve the purpose,
to hearten other people in Lebanon who want to lead a civic, secular
life. So for this reason you find the Muslims in Lebanon running
after the Christians, begging them not to emigrate.

KENYON: There are many Muslims, however, who don’t feel any special
need to maintain the polite fiction that Christians are half
the population. The Shiite community, for instance, has long felt
undervalued in Lebanon, even though unofficial estimates suggest the
Shiites are the largest single group in the country.

In the cool, leafy hills of Mount Lebanon, Greek Catholic Bishop
George Khodr offers another caution. Lebanon’s Christians shouldn’t
expect foreign benefactors to come rushing in to save them as they
did in earlier centuries.

These days, he says, the need for petroleum tends to overwhelm issues
such as human rights or religious freedom.

Bishop GEORGE KHODR (Greek Catholic): (Unintelligible) in politics
(unintelligible) Muslim.

(Soundbite of prayer)

KENYON: But with Lebanon facing its latest political crisis, a
standoff over naming a new president with a November deadline looming,
a number of Muslim clerics recently made the trip up into the hills
above the capital to show solidarity with Maronite Christians. The
Muslims prayed in one room at the main Maronite Church complex while
the Christian service went on upstairs.

(Soundbite of service)

KENYON: Afterwards, Ibrahim Shamseddine, the son of a highly respected
Shiite cleric, agreed that the event was largely symbolic, but added
that in some ways Lebanon itself is symbolic – an example to other
Arab states of the possibility of Christian and Muslim coexistence
that should not be allowed to fade from the scene.

Mr. IBRAHIM SHAMSEDDINE: Believe me, I assure you, I assure everybody,
on a very Machiavellian basis even, put religion apart. It’s for our
sake and benefit as Muslims to have the Christians here, strong as
partner, as decision makers with us. We build together. We lose and
win together. We live together. We raise our children together. This is
not just poetry; this is real fact of life. This is the way it should
be, and this is the way we’re going to work to have it maintained in
this way.

KENYON: These voices are not often heard in Beirut these days. They’re
drowned out by the politicians and foreign envoys pressing for
advantage as the current presidential crisis comes to a head. But for
many Lebanese the name of the next president is less important than
knowing if their country will remain that rare thing in the modern
Arab world, a place where Christians and Muslims govern together.

Peter Kenyon, NPR News, Beirut.

MONTAGNE: And you can hear the first two parts of this series on
Christians in Lebanon at npr.org.

–Boundary_(ID_YXbui6BeYYFm/2Y6md52UQ)–

NO DIFFERENCES BETWEEN RUSSIA, US WITHIN OSCE MINSK GROUP – RUSSIAN FOREIGN MINISTRY

"Trend" news agency
08.11.07 18:55

Russia, Moscow / Тrend corr R. Agayev / There are no difference
between Russia and the United States within the framework of the OSCE
Minsk Group, a representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry said
at a press conference dedicated to the prospects of relationships
between Russia and the United States in Moscow on 8 November. He
preferred to keep anonymity.

"We believe the OSCE Minks Group is a very useful mechanism and there
are no deep differences between Russia and the United States," he said.

According to the Russian diplomat, it has been repeatedly said that
settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is a priority both for
Russia and the United States. "When the Minks Group met in Florida
we were on the verge of a break-throw," he said.

The main thing for the time being is to promote creation of political
conditions for concrete steps in the settlement. Russia considers
direct contacts between Azerbaijani and Armenian administration are
necessary for this purpose. "But it is quite true that presently
the Minsk Group is completely inactive. It requires some impetus,
also from the two conflicting sides," he said.

–Boundary_(ID_vYgxRZRNTWL2TQ4GG/K7mg)–

REPUBLIC OF ARMENIA TO PROVIDE 1 BILLION DRAM-CREDIT TO NAGORNO KARABAKH REPUBLIC

Noyan Tapan
Nov 8, 2007

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 8, NOYAN TAPAN. Under the RA Law on the Budgetary
System of the Republic of Armenia, the Armenian government made a
decision to provide a budgetary credit of one billion drams (about
3.4 mln USD) from the 2007 state budget-envisaged governmental reserve
fund to the RA ministry of finance and economy. The decision was made
at the November 8 sitting of the government. NT was informed from
the RA Government Information and PR Department that the credit is
given with the aim of providing assistance to the Nagorno Karabakh
Republic. It has a 0.01% annual interest rate and is to be repaid by
January 1, 2010.

ACCORDING TO ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION ORGANIZATIONS, YEREVAN CAN BECOME PLACE OF NATURAL DISASTER ON ACCOUNT OF COVERING CHANNEL OF GETAR

Noyan Tapan
Nov 8, 2007

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 8, NOYAN TAPAN. As a result of the construction work
being implemented over the river Getar, crossing the central part
of Yerevan, the latter can become a place of natural disaster. The
channel of the river, which is growing narrower year after year, will
become much smaller as a result of the current construction work, and
the whole city may be flooded by heavy rains and thaws. This statement
was made by the representatives of the non-governmental organizations
involved in the environmental protection problems of Yerevan.

As a result of the conducted work, part of the channel of the Getar
will be covered by a concrete tube, on which a motor highway will
be built from Koriun up to Tumanian street. The city authorities
answered the warning calls of non-governmental organizations saying
that the construction of the Getar is necessary for the purpose
of facilitating the state of the city transport traffic and making
Khanjian street larger.

Roland Manukian, the Chief Specialist of the "Armhydroproject"
enterprise, stated that the construction being implemented over
the river Getar has not undergone an environmental protection and
urban development expert examination, there are no projects of the
construction and it is not known which organization has carried out
the order. In his opinion, making the channel of the Getar smaller
is full of dangerous consequences: yet in 1946 almost half of Yerevan
was destroyed as a result of heavy rains and floods.

The water even brought 120-ton stones into the city. After that
accident a temporary regulator with a stronghold and a special erection
was built in the Avan-Arinj part of the Getar, which would work during
heavy rains.

According to him, later that regulator was left without attention,
the stronghold was destroyed, and the special erection was filled
with garbage from rain-water. "In fact, that system is no longer
good for protecting the city in similar situations. If, God forbid,
the 1946 events are repeated, everything will be destroyed, the Chief
Specialist of the "Armhydroproject" enterprise is convinced.

Mr. Manukian has turned to the heads of different departments with this
problem, however, no one answered the question of who is the author of
the project. He was told in the Ministry of Environmental Protection
that the storage lake of Sevaberd will completely settle the problems
of the Getar, which, according to R. Manukian, is impossible, since
the storage lake of Sevaberd closes only one tributary of the Getar.

In the words of Karine Danielian, the Chairwoman of the Association
"For Stable Human Development", this construction being implemented
over the river will not solve the problem of the city traffic, on the
contrary, it will make worse the state of the city already standing
in front of an ecological disaster. "Yerevan is strangled in concrete,
asphalt, construction debris, cars becoming more and more day by day ,
as well as in exhaust gas." The newly built buildings are deprived
of green spaces and gardens. The river crossing the Oghakadzev
(ring-shaped) garden seems to be a small oasis and air-vent in
a desert. I am sure that soon it will not exist either," Karine
Danielian mentioned.

U-M RECEIVES $1.2 MILLION FOR RESEARCH IN ARMENIAN HISTORY
Posted by Dave Gershman

The Ann Arbor News
November 07, 2007 19:18PM

The University of Michigan received $1.2 million from the Manoogian
Simone Foundation to benefit research in Armenian history.

The donation to the Armenian Studies Program in the College of
Literature, Science and the Arts will provide funding for graduate
and post-doctoral fellowships, a visiting scholars program, annual
international conferences, graduate workshops, an expanded Summer
Language Institute and an outreach program.

Scholars in the United States and Armenia will be able to generate
new historical knowledge and change the way Armenian history and
culture is taught.

AYF MEMBERS ORGANIZE RALLY IN SUPPORT OF GENOCIDE RESOLUTION AND AMERICAN VALUES

armradio.am
07.11.2007 10:12

The Armenian National Committee of America – Western Region (ANCA-WR)
is reporting that the Armenian Youth Federation – Western Region
(AYF-WR) continues to take a strong leadership role in rallying
community support for the Armenian Genocide resolution (H.Res.106).

Last week, hundreds of AYF members held a successful rally in Little
Armenia to raise awareness of the Armenian Genocide resolution pending
in Congress.

The rally was covered by the following television news shows: KCBS,
KCAL and KTTV Fox News. Among those speaking at the rally were State
Assemblymember Kevin DeLeon and Glendale Unified School Board member
Greg Krikorian. AYF members have also been volunteering to run numerous
phone banks that are reaching out to tens of thousands of Armenian
Americans in states across the Western United States in support of
H. Res. 106.

"Since 1933, the AYF has served to educate and motivate our community,"
stated AYF Central Executive Chairman Caspar Jivalagian. "Building
support for the Armenian Genocide resolution is critical to our shared
goal of raising awareness of one of the most horrific chapters in
human history. The AYF is also focused on defending American values,
like truth and justice, which are under assault by genocide denying
lobbyists being paid for by the Turkish Government," he added.

H. Res. 106, the Armenian Genocide resolution passed through the
House Committee on Foreign Affairs (HCFA) by a vote of 27-21 on
October 10, 2007.

Following the media frenzy stirred by the President and the State
Department’s opposition to the bill, the AYF-WR mobilized to assist
in efforts to raise awareness of the Armenian Genocide resolution.

"The AYF continues to play a strong role in our community," stated
ANCA-WR Executive Director Andrew Kzirian. "We look forward to
continuing and expanding our work with AYF members to raise awareness
of the Armenian Genocide resolution," he added.

ZOYA LAZARYAN IS DIRECTOR OF THE POLYCLINIC OF STEPANAKERT

KarabakhOpen
06-11-2007 17:29:19

Yesterday the NKR minister of health Armen Khachatryan introduced Zoya
Lazaryan, the new director, to the staff of the polyclinic and the
diagnostic center of Stepanakert. Zoya Lazaryan is the ex-minister
of health of NKR.

Panorama.am

14:13 03/11/2007

PRIME MINISTER TO TAKE PART IN EVENT DEDICATED TO START OF WORKS IN
TEGHUT

Today Prime Minister Serzh Sargsyan has left for Lori region.
Government press services inform that the prime minister will take
part in the events dedicated to the operation of copper-molybdenum
mine in Teghut.

To recall, the mines were given to Armenia Copper Program Company for
a term of 25 years for operation by November 1 decision of the
government. The company took the responsibility to invest 200 million
dollars. Armenia Copper Program Company was established in 1997 by
Alaverdy mountain metallurgy factory base. It is part of Vallex
Group. The 80,74 percent of shares belongs to Lichkhtenshtain Vallex
F. N. Establishment and the remaining 19,26 percent is owned by
Armenia Copper Program company general director Valeri Mejlumyan.

Source: Panorama.am

Boston Globe, MA
Nov 3 2007

ADL officials say stance clear on genocide

Contend earlier remarks had been misinterpreted

By Megan Woolhouse, Globe Staff | November 3, 2007

NEW YORK – The national Anti-Defamation League yesterday refused to
act on calls from within its own ranks to acknowledge unequivocally
the Armenian genocide, after its top officials insisted that earlier
remarks calling the World War I-era massacre "tantamount to genocide"
were misinterpreted.
Article Tools

"I was very clear," ADL head Abraham Foxman said in an interview last
night, referring to his remarks in August. "People with other agendas
tried to read into them."
In a statement issued last night, the National Commission of the
Anti-Defamation League said it had "decided to take no further action
on the issue of the Armenian genocide."
Before yesterday’s meeting, Massachusetts-based members of the ADL had
urged the national organization to support both a congressional
resolution calling the massacre genocide and a separate, similar
measure. Some critics from Massachusetts had contended that Foxman’s
earlier statement was carefully constructed to avoid a full
acknowledgement of the massacre.
But after hearing a lengthy debate, Massachusetts representatives
withdrew their resolution, saying they were satisfied with the
outcome.
James Rudolph, chairman of the ADL’s regional board for New England,
said the league’s national chairman, Glen Lewy, assured the group
"that earlier statements were always intended to be an unequivocal
acknowledgement of the Armenian genocide."
"I feel comfortable with it," Rudolph said of the decision.
Newton resident Lori Gans, also an ADL commissioner, said she was
pleased.
"We were hoping to get a clearer, restated position," she said after
the meeting. "We didn’t get a formal statement, but we got
clarity. Abe Foxman’s statement of Aug. 21 was in fact the unequivocal
statement we wanted it to be."
Armenian activists, however, disagreed.
Sharistan Melkonian, chief of the Armenian National Committee’s
Eastern Massachusetts office, said Foxman owes the Armenian community
an apology.
"It’s disappointing that they don’t come out with a strong statement
that would put an end to any concerns about its position once and for
all. it’s unfortunate and it’s disappointing," she said by phone after
the vote.
Since this summer’s controversy, seven Massachusetts communities have
severed or suspended relations with the ADL and dropped its No Place
for Hate Program.
Rudolph said yesterday that he would try to bring those communities
back into the program.
"I think the perception it was never intended to be unequivocal has
hurt us," he said. "We left today’s meeting recommitted to the mission
of the ADL."
Between 1915 and 1923, Ottoman Turks massacred as many as 1.5 million
Armenians in what the US ambassador at the time called "a campaign of
race extermination." Historians and other nations, as well as Nobel
Peace Prize recipient and Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel, have
described the massacre as genocide. But the Turkish government has
refused to accept the label; until August, neither did the ADL.
Leaders within the ADL, founded in 1913 to fight anti-Semitism, have
long expressed concern that acknowledging the genocide would put Jews
at risk in Turkey or damage Israel’s relations with Turkey, a Muslim
ally. The US government also relies on Turkey as an ally in the Iraq
war.
The controversy erupted in August after Watertown, which has a
sizeable Armenian-American community, decided to pull out of the No
Place For Hate Program to protest the ADL’s refusal to acknowledge the
genocide. Regional ADL members then challenged the national
organization’s stand. Andrew Tarsy, chapter director, spoke out
publicly, saying he disagreed with the national position.
Foxman fired Tarsy. Board members, Jewish leaders, and
Armenian-Americans rallied to support Tarsy, and Foxman reversed
course. Within days, he called the massacre "tantamount to genocide"
and rehired Tarsy.
Although he did not have a vote and is not a commissioner, Tarsy
attended yesterday’s conference. He did not return calls requesting
comment last night.
About 200 ADL commissioners met behind closed doors for more than
three hours at a Manhattan hotel to debate the matter during its
annual convention. About 50 commissioners spoke on the issue.
According to a letter obtained by the Globe yesterday, New York ADL
Commissioner Robert G. Sugarman asked other commissioners to sign a
letter stating they did not support either the House resolution or the
New England chapter’s efforts. Members were asked to sign a letter
that said they "strongly disagree" with the premise of both
resolutions.
"We cannot understand why the issue of ADL’s position on the
massacres, atrocities, and genocide perpetrated against Armenians
should be raised again at the National Commission meeting," the letter
said. "It is inconceivable that anyone could reasonably interpret the
statement in any way other than as an unambiguous and unequivocal
declaration."
The letter referred to the massacre as genocide twice, adding that the
ADL "did the right and moral thing by recognizing the Armenian
genocide in August."