AAA: ANTI-DEFAMATION LEAGUE'S SHIFT IN POSITION ON ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

PRESS RELEASE
August 21, 2007

ANTI-DEFAMATION LEAGUE'S SHIFT IN POSITION ON ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

Calls It A Step Forward

Washington, DC – The Armenian Assembly of America today welcomed the Anti-Defamation League’s (ADL) statement, following repeated calls by members of the Armenian, Jewish and other communities in Massachusetts and elsewhere, to persuade the human rights group to reverse its longstanding policy on the Armenian Genocide.

The Assembly regrets however, that the ADL continues to oppose the Armenian Genocide resolutions pending in the House and Senate (H. Res. 106 and S. Res. 106) because the entire Armenian community the world over is convinced that this is the most viable option in the face of Turkey’s continuing denials and distortions. The United States owes the Armenian community the obligation of reaffirming its own record on this fact of world history. The ADL should follow the example of its grassroots activists in the Jewish-American community and support formal congressional affirmation of the Armenian Genocide.

The Assembly also remains concerned about the treatment of minorities in Turkey and calls upon the United States to impress upon its NATO ally to uphold the rule of law and respect the civil rights of the Jewish, Greek and Armenian minorities. This has been a matter of concern for many years and should have been long-ago resolved.

Considering the relations between Turkey and Israel, it is surprising to hear from as well-informed a source as the ADL that the Jewish community in Turkey may be put at risk should the U.S. Congress enact the Armenian Genocide Resolution. That should have stopped long ago in a country that purports to be a secular democracy. Perhaps Turkey should adopt the ADL’s “No Place for Hate” program in its cities and municipalities.

The “No Place for Hate” program sparked the ire of the Armenian community in Watertown, Massachusetts last month when residents there learned that while the organization recognized the atrocities, it refused to qualify them as genocide. Remarkably, when Abraham Foxman, the ADL’s national leader, was asked if he recognized that the events of 1915 in the Ottoman Empire constituted genocide, Foxman answered simply “I don’t know.”

The Armenian community responded by calling for a local and nationwide boycott of the “No Place for Hate” campaign until the ADL publicly recognized the Armenian Genocide. Earlier this week two members of the ADL Board, Stewart Cohen, a former chairman of the Polaroid Corp. and Boston City Council member Mike Ross, both stepped down after the ADL New England Regional Director Andrew H. Tarsy was fired for breaking rank with national ADL policy and acknowledging the Armenian Genocide.

Tarsy found Foxman’s position untenable and told the Boston Globe in no uncertain terms: “I strongly disagree with the ADL's national position. It's my strong hope that we'll be able to move forward in a relationship with the Armenian community and the community in general.”

The ADL is one of the oldest and most influential Jewish organizations in the United States and has been working to combat anti-Semitism and bigotry for more than 90 years.
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ANCA RESPONSE TO THE AUGUST 21, 2007 AJC PRESS RELEASE

MEDIA ADVISORY
August 21, 2007

NOTE TO THE EDITOR: In the wake of the Anti-Defamation League's decision today to end its complicity in the denial of the Armenian Genocide, David Harris, the Executive Director of the American Jewish Committee(AJC), issued a public statement seeking to address the growing controversy surrounding his organization's efforts to block U.S. recognition of this crime against humanity.

Click here to read the complete AJC statement.

The Armenian National Committee of America's (ANCA) response:

The commentary today by David Harris, the Executive Director of the American Jewish Committee, "Truth and Consequences: Armenians, Turks, and Jews," falls far short of the standards we should expect of a proud institution with a noble, century-long commitment to the highest ideals of the Jewish American community.

The AJC remains, despite the sentiment reflected by this statement and the work of individuals within its leadership, on the wrong side of a fundamental human rights issue - the Armenian Genocide -and, as events of the past several weeks have shown, clearly out of step with the views and values of its own community.

In this statement, the AJC seeks credit for doing the right thing, without actually doing the right thing. The AJC affirms its commitment to protecting historical truth, but carefully avoids –through evasive and euphemistic wording – recognizing the well-documented fact that the Armenian Genocide represents an unmistakable instance of genocide.
The AJC surrenders a measure of its standing as an organization devoted to historical truth when it plays word games with genocide, or seeks to rationalize its unwillingness to take a moral stand on this atrocity based on Turkey's geopolitical value. Genocide recognition is a moral imperative, not a subject for negotiation or a commodity to be traded for political gain.

While we appreciate this effort by David Harris and the AJC to reach out on this issue, at this point only a clear statement of recognition of the Armenian Genocide and a public call for the adoption of the Armenian Genocide Resolution will allow the AJC to break cleanly with its long and troubling record of opposition to the recognition of the Armenian Genocide, including, regrettably, its ongoing efforts in Washington, D.C. to prevent the reaffirmation of this crime by the U.S. Congress.
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2007.08.21 -- Letter to ADL/Pennsylvania by Rep. Daylin Leach

August 21, 2007

Barry Morrison, Regional Director
Anti-Defamation League
1617 John F Kennedy Blvd Ste 1160
Philadelphia , PA 19103
(215) 568-2223

Dear Barry:

I just returned from Boston where I attended a family funeral. While up there I read the extensive coverage the Boston press was giving to the firing of Andrew Tarsy, who was the ADL’s New England Regional Director, by Abe Foxman, the ADL’s National Director. As I am sure you know, Mr. Tarsy was fired for publicly breaking with the national ADL over the issue of recognizing the Armenian Genocide at the hands of Turkey .

As a life-long practicing Jew and the husband of an Armenian, I was shocked to learn the full-extent and depth of the National ADL’s Armenian Genocide Denial under the leadership of Mr. Foxman. The National ADL has gone so far as to oppose the resolution pending in Congress which would recognize the Armenian Genocide. How can an organization dedicated to fighting on the side of truth in one context, reject the truth in another?

I am aware that Mr. Foxman and his supporters point to the relationship between Turkey and Israel , the vulnerability of Turkish Jews and (as Mr. Foxman charmingly put it) the wishes of unnamed “donors”. But the ADL as an organization wants to have credibility when it demands recognition of and reparations for the holocaust, it cannot be in league with genocide deniers in any context.

We don’t give or withhold recognition of genocide based on whether it’s convenient but whether it’s true. At the end of the day, regardless of our relationships with other countries or the wishes of a given interest group, a lie is a lie. And denial of the Armenian Genocide is a lie.

When preparing the final solution, Hitler said “Nobody remembers the Armenians”. We do no service to our common creed “Never Again” by joining with those who deny the truth. The Turkish government says it never happened. But it did happen. You and I know it, my wife’s grandparents who witnessed the massacre first-hand know it, the Turkish government knows it and Mr. Foxman knows it. His denial of the plain facts brings shame to the venerated organization you work for.

In Boston , after Mr. Tarsy was fired, at least two other board members resigned in protest. I do not know what other regional chapters are doing, but I would like to take this opportunity to urge you to speak out on behalf of the region you head. I think it would be “morally indefensible” in the words of Mr. Tarsy, to do anything other than publicly and explicitly reject Mr. Foxman’s position, express recognition of what happened to the Armenians and urge congress to pass the Genocide Recognition Resolution.

I feel quite certain that this issue is going to become a major national controversy. I also feel that Mr. Foxman’s position is not sustainable in the long run. Each of us, as individuals and as Jewish leaders is going to have to speak up on this. I am hopeful that our region will join New England in showing early leadership on this issue. I thank you in advance for any efforts you may have already undertaken and I look forward to hearing from you regarding what the local ADL’s position is on the Armenian Genocide.

Very Truly Yours,

Representative Daylin Leach
149th District
Pennsylvania
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2007.08.21 -- Arlington No Place For Hate Suspends Ties with ADL

The following statement was released to the ANCEM by the Arlington No Place for Hate Steering Committee on August 21, 2007.

Over the past months, Arlington has pursued certification as a No Place for Hate community under the auspices of the New England Regional Chapter of the ADL (Anti-Defamation League) and the MMA (Massachusetts Municipal Association). This week, the Arlington No Place for Hate Steering Committee resolved to suspend our involvement in the program. We take this measure to protest the refusal of ADL's national leadership to acknowledge as genocide the killing of 1.5 million Armenians between 1915 and 1918 by the Ottoman Empire and to support the efforts of the New England Regional Board and Andrew Tarsy, former Director, of the New England Region of the ADL.

Arlington chose the No Place for Hate program as a vehicle for bringing our community together, celebrating diversity, and addressing issues of hate and intolerance as they arise. While we agree with the program's goals, we feel that recent statements and actions of the national leadership have undermined its integrity and ability to be effective.

We believe that the ADL national leadership’s refusal to acknowledge what by any standard is genocide -- and its subsequent firing of employees who disagree with their position -- is both indefensible and at complete odds with a basic tenet of No Place for Hate: acknowledging and accepting the history and experience of our community members, even when this may be uncomfortable or inconvenient for us. It tarnishes the good work of so many communities, and serves as a sad repudiation of the ADL's mission, "to secure justice and fair treatment to all."

We applaud Andrew Tarsy and the New England Regional Chapter of the ADL for their courage in standing up to the national organization’s position. We support them in their efforts to resolve this matter so that the Armenian genocide is rightfully acknowledged and the integrity of the No Place for Hate program can be restored.

We would also like to express our support for the members of the Armenian community, who have been so profoundly hurt by the position taken by the national ADL leadership on the Armenian genocide.

Arlington No Place for Hate Steering Committee
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2007.08.21 -- Newton Mayor David Cohen's Letter to Abraham Foxman

This letter was sent to Mr.Foxman one hour before the ADL came out with its statement recognizing the Armenian Genocide.

City of Newton, Massachusetts
Office of the Mayor

August 21, 2007

Mr. Abraham Foxman, Executive Director
Anti Defamation League
605 3rd Avenue
New York, NY 10158

Dear Mr. Foxman,

I write this letter on behalf of the citizens of the City of Newton, Massachusetts – home to the largest Jewish population in the state and a "No Place for Hate" community since the program's inception – as we stand with Israel, and with our Armenian brothers and sisters. There is no uncertainty that more than 1.5 million Armenians were summarily displaced and marched to their deaths by the Ottoman rulers in the early 20th century – a genocide.

I am in full support of the actions taken by the New England Regional Board of the ADL, and its Executive Director Andrew Tarsy in recognizing the Armenian Genocide. I am also in full support of the legislation introduced by U.S. Representative Adam Schiff calling on the United States to formally recognize the Armenian Genocide.

The recognition of the Armenian Genocide is an important step along the path of peace and freedom, and crucial in combating other genocides now and in the future. As history has shown, failure to recognize atrocities of the past leaves open the possibility of violence in the future. In fact it was Hitler himself who, when contemplating the Holocaust said: "Who, after all, speaks today of the annihilation of the Armenians?" The Armenian Genocide is a tragic fact of history, and failure to recognize it as such does a disservice to people all over the world who have suffered from discrimination and injustice.

Since its inception in 1913, the Anti Defamation League has been a forceful advocate for tolerance and justice throughout the world. I am calling on you to stay true to your mission, "To secure justice and fair treatment to all," by providing your support of the Armenian people around the world. Specifically, I call on you to reverse the national ADL position and recognize the World War I genocide perpetrated against the Armenian people. Furthermore, I call on you to reinstate Mr. Tarsy. With these two acts, you can ensure that people around the world will continue to look to the Anti Defamation League as a beacon of hope and justice and as an intractable barrier to intolerance and hate.

I believe that this is a defining issue, and the manner in which ADL resolves it will determine whether Newton continues as a "No Place for Hate" community.

Sincerely Yours,
David B. Cohen
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2007.08.21 -- Commentary: Righteous Jews, Armenians, and Others Demand ADL Director's Resignation

By Harut Sassounian
Publisher, The California Courier

For many years, Armenian-Americans have been frustrated and angered by the fact that a small number of influential Jewish-American organizations have been undermining congressional efforts to recognize the Armenian Genocide by providing political support to the Turkish denialist campaign.

At the same time, the Armenian community has been pleased that many Jewish groups, scholars and even some Israeli officials, contrary to their government's policy of appeasing Turkish denialism, have taken a principled stand on this issue by not succumbing to Turkey's blackmail.

As the Armenian-American community has become stronger politically and gained the support of numerous Jewish individuals and organizations in recent years, it has begun to actively challenge and counter all efforts at genocide denial. The most recent controversy erupted last month when David Boyajian, a Boston area activist, sent a letter to the editor of the Watertown Tab, complaining about the fact that Abe Foxman, National Director of the Anti-Defamation League(ADL), had made statements to the media casting doubt on the facts of the Armenian Genocide. Foxman was quoted as saying: "The Turks and Armenians need to revisit their past. The Jewish community shouldn't be the arbiter of that history. And I don't think the U.S. Congress should be the arbiter, either."

Furthermore, the ADL, along with the American Jewish Committee, B'nai B'rith International and the Jewish Institute for National Security Affairs (JINSA) recently forwarded to the U.S. Congress a letter from Turkey's small Jewish community opposing the pending congressional resolution on the Armenian Genocide. In his letter, Boyajian objected to the sponsorship by the Town of Watertown, Massachusetts, of ADL's anti-racist program -- "No Place for Hate" - at a time when the latter's Director was making disparaging remarks on the Armenian Genocide.

In response to letters from several other readers, Boston area newspapers provided extensive coverage of this controversy and published editorials critical of Foxman and the ADL. The Watertown Town Council then held a hearing and, by a unanimous vote, decided to disassociate itself from the "No Place for Hate" program due to its affiliation with ADL. Other Massachusetts cities are considering a similar action.

The controversy widened when scores of Jewish-Americans openly challenged and harshly criticized Foxman's indifference to the Armenian Genocide, finding it utterly unacceptable that the leader of an organization that fights bias would take such a cavalier attitude toward genocide. Many called for his immediate dismissal.

Andrew H. Tarsy, the ADL's New England Regional Director, called an emergency meeting of the regional ADL Board which voted last week to urge the National ADL to revise its policy of genocide denial.

In response to mounting criticism, the National ADL posted a statement on its website -- published this week as a paid ad in the Boston Globe and the Jewish Advocate -- saying that the ADL "has acknowledged and never denied the massacres" of Armenians, while claiming that "legislative efforts outside of Turkey are counterproductive to the goal of having Turkey itself come to grips with its past."

The ADL headquarters also sent a letter to the local ADL board, signed by Chairman Glen Lewy and Director Foxman, stating that the regional board does not have the authority to publicly advocate a policy contrary to ADL's position. The letter referred to the Armenian Genocide as "a dispute between Armenians and Turkey" and described the genocide as a "massacre." Foxman then fired ADL's Regional Director Tarsy for challenging the ADL's position on the Armenian Genocide. In retaliation, ADL's New England executive committee backed Tarsy and resolved to actively support the congressional resolution on the Armenia Genocide.

In a joint opinion column published in the Boston Globe, Harvard Law Professor Alan Dershowitz and Massachusetts State Representative Rachel Kaprielian called for an unequivocal affirmation of the Armenian Genocide and praised the regional chapter of ADL for doing so.

The dismissal of Tarsy created a major rift between the regional board and the ADL headquarters. Two prominent members of its New England Regional Board, Stewart Cohen, the former chairman of the Polaroid Corporation, and Boston City Council member Mike Ross, resigned in protest. They said that they could no longer be part of an organization that does not recognize the Armenian Genocide. According to press reports other regional board members are also contemplating handing in their resignations.

Another prominent Jewish leader, George Beilin -- a past president of the North Shore Council of the B'nai B'rith Organization -- called on Foxman to "resign immediately for the sake of the Jewish community in the United States and the world." Steve Grossman, a former ADL regional board member, called Tarsy's firing "a vindictive, intolerant, and destructive act." The Boston Jewish Community Relations Council also came to Tarsy's defense, issuing a statement in support of the recognition of the Armenian Genocide. Ronne Friedman, senior rabbi at Temple Israel, the largest synagogue in Boston, was quoted by the Boston Globe as saying: "I'm devastated to hear the news [of Tarsy's firing]. I think it's an inexcusable behavior on the part of the national office."

For additional statements and articles on this issue, please see: www.noplacefordenial.com .

Should Foxman not respond to calls, from the Jewish community and others, seeking his resignation:
-- French President Nicolas Sarkozy, who is a descendant of Holocaust survivors, should be asked to rescind the Legion of Honor bestowed upon Foxman in 2006 by President Jacques Chirac, France's highest civilian honor.
-- Cities throughout the United States should follow Watertown's lead and disassociate themselves from the ADL's "NPFH" program, as long as Foxman persists in his denialist position on the Armenian Genocide.

Foxman should step aside in order to prevent further damage to ADL's good work. It is inconceivable that an organization that fights discrimination is led by someone who denies genocide. The new Director of the ADL should issue a clear statement acknowledging the Armenian Genocide and declare the organization's support for the pending congressional resolution.
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2007.08.21 -- Boston Globe: Letters to the Editor Published on August 21, 2007

The ADL defends itself and fires one of its officials

THE ADL'S Aug. 20 ad in the Globe, under the heading "An Open Letter to the New England Community," states, "We believe that legislative efforts outside of Turkey are counterproductive to the goal of having Turkey itself come to grips with its past. We take no position on what action Congress should take on House Resolution 106." These sentences seem contradictory. The Anti-Defamation League either opposes legislative efforts outside Turkey, or it has no position on the topic. It cannot do both.

The same ad states, "The Jewish community in Turkey has clearly expressed to us and other major American Jewish organizations its concerns about the impact of congressional action on them." However, we have seen many articles describing the historical tolerance and support of Turkey for its Jewish minority. So, if this is true, then what is the worry? And if it is not, then ADL might want to consider a No Place for Hate program there.

The ad maintains, "We are also keenly aware that Turkey is a key strategic ally and friend of the United States and a staunch friend of Israel." We are talking about an issue of human rights, where ADL or any other human rights organization can ill afford to set a precedent as to which issue is politically conducive to support.

ARA NAZARIAN
Brighton

IF THE national ADL truly wishes to aid the interests of Israel and Turkish Jews, it should learn from the experience of Milton, a No Place for Hate community. When swastikas were drawn on a local synagogue, Temple Shalom, on the day of Holocaust memorial services, the entire interfaith community came together to support the Jewish community. Every house of worship showed the same poster in front of the building, declaring "Stand Together Milton." A hate crime became a cause for building bridges and strengthening a community. Young people witnessed different community institutions with seemingly different missions uniting in defense of one member.

The welfare of one people depends on the ability and character of all people to stand up against injustice. If the national ADL cannot respond to the very dialogue that it helped create, then it has been rendered obsolete and morally irrelevant.

MARCY LeLACHEUR
Milton

IN A time when people are called heroes just for doing their jobs, Andrew Tarsy stands out as a hero in the true meaning of the word ("ADL fires local leader who broke ranks; Disagreed with group on Armenian genocide," Page A1, Aug. 18). His willingness to stand up to the national ADL's politically self-serving refusal to apply the term "genocide" to the early-20th-century Turkish systematic murder of 1.5 million Armenians, and to publicly state that it was indeed genocide, cost him his job as New England regional director of the ADL. Tarsy answered to a higher moral good. He should be nominated for the Kennedy Library's Profile in Courage award.

DENNIS J. NAUGHTON
Foxborough
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2007.08.20 -- ARMENIAN ASSEMBLY OF AMERICA STATEMENT REGARDING THE ANTI-DEFAMATION LEAGUE

The Armenian Assembly commends Andrew H. Tarsy, the Anti-Defamation League’s (ADL) former New England regional director, and its regional executive committee for publicly acknowledging the historical truth of the Armenian Genocide. We also salute Stewart Cohen, former Chairman of Polaroid Corp. and Mike Ross, a member of the Boston City Council, for resigning from ADL’s regional board in a show of solidarity. In the face of Turkey’s ongoing worldwide campaign to deny the facts of this crime against humanity, Tarsy’s principled stand lives up to the promise and purpose of the ADL’s “No Place for Hate” program.

ADL’s “No Place for Hate” program asks that participants sign a “resolution of respect,” which sets forth the following guiding principles:

I pledge from this day forward to do my best to combat prejudice and to stop those who, because of hate or ignorance, would hurt anyone or violate their civil rights. I will try at all times to be aware of my own biases and seek to gain understanding of those who I perceive as being different from myself. I will speak out against all forms of prejudice and discrimination. I will reach out to support those who are targets of hate. I will think about specific ways my community members can promote respect for people and create a prejudice-free zone. I firmly believe that one person can make a difference and that no person can be an “innocent” bystander when it comes to opposing hate. I recognize that respecting individual dignity, achieving equality and promoting intergroup harmony are the responsibilities of all people.

We deeply regret that Tarsy was fired for speaking the truth, and for challenging what he calls ADL’s “morally indefensible” decision to oppose Congressional legislation reaffirming the Armenian Genocide. U.S. Ambassador to the Ottoman Empire, Henry Morgenthau, described those events as a “campaign of race extermination” against the Armenian people.

As a people who have been subjected to the most egregious and extreme form of hate – namely the attempted annihilation of their entire people – Armenians around the world stand with those who have faced similar atrocities. It is especially incumbent upon victimized communities to stand together against hatred, bigotry and denial.

American Jewish community organizations have been divided for too long and have an opportunity to demonstrate their moral leadership by standing with the Armenian people and answering Hitler’s chilling question: “Who, after all, speaks today of the annihilation of the Armenians?” A first step would be to fully support Congressional legislation, which affirms the Armenian Genocide: H. Res.106 and S. Res.106, pending in the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate respectively.
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2007.08.20 -- Mayor Cohen of Newton, Mass Issues Statement on Armenian Genocide

As a “No Place for Hate” community, the City of Newton is committed to promoting tolerance and social justice within our City borders and beyond. I want to take this opportunity to say in no uncertain terms that the City of Newton stands with the Armenian people in condemning the genocide perpetrated against the Armenian people by the Ottoman Empire in the early 20th century. Furthermore, I fully support the legislation introduced by U.S. Representative Adam Schiff calling on the United States to formally recognize the Armenian Genocide.

The World War I era Armenian Genocide, which involved the systematic slaughter of 1.5 million people, played a significant role in the subsequent devastating genocides that took place throughout the 20th century and into today. In fact, it was Hitler himself who, when contemplating, the Holocaust said in the early 1940’s: “Who, after all, speaks today of the annihilation of the Armenians?” The Armenian Genocide is a tragic fact of history, and failure to recognize it as such does a disservice to people all over the world who have suffered from discrimination and injustice.

Whether or not Newton decides to remain a “No Place for Hate” community will in no way alter the hard work being done to promote tolerance and peace in our City every day of the year. Our Volunteer Services Coordinator Beverly Droz, our Human Rights Commission, our Clergy Association, our Foundation for Racial, Ethnic and Religious Harmony, and many other advocates for peace and social justice throughout the City will continue to plan and carry out programs and events that will unite the people in Newton against hate. Our community will never waver as we promote the ideals of tolerance and respect for all people in our City.
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2007.08.20 -- ANCEM Letter to NPFH-Arlington

August 20, 2007
Dear Sirs:

I am writing to receive clarification from the Arlington No Place For Hate (NPFH) Steering Committee concerning the Armenian Genocide, its recognition by Congress and your affiliation with the Anti-Defamation League, which continues to promote a policy of genocide denial.

Statements published in the Boston Globe, Los Angeles Times and The New Republic by Abraham Foxman, the National Director of the Anti-Defamation League, calling into question the Armenian Genocide and expressing reservations concerning its acknowledgment by the U.S. Congress, have been a source of great concern to all people who seek to build a world without genocide. It is astonishing to us that Mr. Foxman, who heads an institution whose goal it is to fight intolerance against all races and religions, would claim ignorance about the Armenian Genocide. It appears to be a willful ignorance. Moreover, his repeated references to the tragedy as simply an "Armenian" concern or "someone else's history" goes against the very foundation of NPFH's community-wide approach to seeking to end hatred, bigotry and intolerance.

As we are sure you are aware, in the face of the ADL's genocide denial, the Watertown Town Council voted unanimously on August 14th to cut ties with the ADL's No Place for Hate Program. Subsequently, the New England ADL took the courageous decision to call upon its national leadership to properly recognize the Armenian Genocide and to support Congressional Armenian Genocide legislation. Rather than using the New England ADL's plea as an opportunity to revisit and reverse their genocide denial policy, the ADL National leadership fired New England ADL Regional Director Andrew Tarsy, precipitating the resignation of two Regional Board Members and creating a firestorm of controversy which has significantly tarnished the reputation of this civil rights organization. Since these actions the National ADL has published an Open Letter to the New England Community which, again, utilizes euphemistic language when referring to the Armenian Genocide and falsely claims that that the organization does not take a position on Armenian Genocide legislation.

Affiliation or acquiescence with Mr. Foxman and the ADL National's unconscionable position on the Armenian Genocide seriously undermines the credibility of the NPFH in its efforts to battle against bigotry and intolerance in Arlington.

We respectfully call upon the Arlington NPFH leadership to sever its ties with the ADL until such time as the ADL National leadership issues a public statement acknowledging the Armenian Genocide and calling for the adoption of Congressional legislation (H.Res.106 / S.Res.106) recognizing this crime against humanity.

We look forward to your reply and working with you on future anti-bigotry programs to ensure that respect for diversity and tolerance continue to flourish in Arlington.

Sincerely,

Sharistan Melkonian
Armenian National Committee of Eastern Massachusetts
47 Nichols Avenue
Watertown, MA 02472
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2007.07.20 -- Statement Issued by Twelve Jewish Organizations in Boston in Support of the New England Chapter of ADL

Community Statement on Armenian Genocide
(Boston, August 20)

As leaders of Jewish organizations in Greater Boston, we support the decision of the New England Chapter of ADL and its Director, Andrew Tarsy to recognize the genocide perpetrated against Armenians from 1915 to 1918.

We must never forget the Armenian genocide and maintain our guard against those who deny its occurrence. We stand with them and in support of the local Armenian community, who like the Jews, have suffered greatly at the hands of others.

On so many issues, the ADL has a long history and noteworthy track record of addressing human rights affecting not only Jews, but many other communities and continues to play a critical role in building understanding and relationships among diverse communities.

While we recognize that precarious and complex political considerations may have played a part in the National ADL policy on this particular issue we, the undersigned organizations in the greater Boston area, support the Regional Office in its decision as it stands in solidarity with our local Armenian community. We urge national ADL to reconsider their position on this issue.

Signed: as of 10:30 p.m. on August 20th
(in formation)

Action for Post-Soviet Jewry
Bureau of Jewish Education
Combined Jewish Philanthropies
Congregation Kehillath Israel
The David Project
Hillel Council of New England
Jewish Alliance for Law and Social Action
Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Boston
Jewish Family Service of Metrowest
Keshet
Friends of the New England Holocaust Memorial
Russian Community Association of Massachusetts
Temple Emanu-El—Haverhill
Union for Reform Judaism, North East Council
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2007.08.20 -- The Jewish Advocate: Letters to the Editor

ADL Taking A Cowardly Stand

We are very upset about the policy of the national ADL chapter. The neutral stand that they are taking on the Armenian Genocide is deplorable. The ADL should show courage and speak up for what is right just as Andrew Tarsy did. It is a disgrace that Andrew Tarsy was fired from the New England regional chapter for speaking the truth.

The ad that was placed in Monday's newspapers by the ADL in which they attempted to explain their position was lame and ineffective. Abraham Foxman, the national director, and Glen Lewy, the national chair, are causing havoc and pain and are causing a backlash against the ADL, a once respected organization.

The ADL should be ashamed of what they are doing, and they should change their cowardly stand and finally stand up for the truth. Their mission has always been for tolerance but their tactics now are intolerable.

June and David Klein
Medford

Looking Out For Each Other

As a Jew, a Zionist and a staunch supporter of Israel, I am appalled by the way the Anti-Defamation League is handling the question of the Armenian genocide. Hardly any serious historian today challenges the historical facts: The government of the Young Turks, in the last days of the Ottoman Empire, systematically killed hundreds of thousands – perhaps as many as 1.5 million – Armenian civilians. Yet the chief
civil rights defense organization of America's Jewish community, the organization that admirably fights anti-Semitism and bigotry worldwide – a leader in the fight to stop the genocide in Darfur, Sudan – insists on denying that the Armenian massacre of 1915-1917 was what it was: genocide. ADL has publicly said that its position is anchored in
the notion that by dealing honestly with the Armenian genocide, it will be harming Israel's interest in good relations with Turkey.

That consideration is misguided on several counts. First, the strategic value of honesty and justice for Israel's long-term security and wellbeing outweighs the short term benefit of pandering to genocide deniers. Second, ADL is a defense organization of America's
Jewish community. Our community, which for years has fostered excellent relations with America's Armenian community, has its own strong interest in this matter, and a very legitimate one, indeed.

From the beginnings of the Israeli state, supporters have aptly quoted the first of Hillel's famous three questions: "If I am not for myself, who then will be for me?" Our friends at ADL should be reminded that Hillel followed this question with another: "If I am for myself only, what am I?"

Franklin M. Fisher
Professor of
Microeconomics, Emeritus
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
National Chair, Americans for Peace Now

Ashamed Of ADL's Position

I am ashamed of the national Anti-Defamation League's refusal to recognize the Armenian genocide of 1915-1921. Clearly the ADL leadership is playing political favors with the Turkish government instead of providing moral leadership for the Jewish community of the United States and the world. Keeping silent about the Armenian
genocide while trumpeting the Jewish Holocaust will not win any friends for our cause abroad. This obvious hypocrisy does not bode well with the international image of the U.S. and Israel.

I strongly support the actions of the regional chapter of the ADL and its director, Andrew Tarsy, who had the moral courage and fortitude to oppose his boss. Mr. Tarsy lost his job but won many admirers and friends in this country and the world.

Anatol Zukerman,
Candidate for Alderman, Ward 3
Newton

Foxman Should Study History

Thank you for your article ("ADL uproar in Watertown sparks debate on genocide," Aug. 10). I have come to conclude that Mr. Foxman must resign or be let go. Furthermore, I will personally pay for his expenses to go back and study history for a semester or two at a local university. Or he can simply read "Power, Faith and Fantasy" by Michael B. Oren. I will be happy to send him a copy. Once again, thank you for your article.

MICHAEL D. CHETEYAN II
Sewickley, Pa.
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UPDATE: AUGUST 17-19

The following is a brief update on the developments since the August 14th decision by the Watertown City Council to cut ties with the ADL's No Place for Hate Program, citing Foxman's & ADL's Armenian Genocide denial.

On August 17th, the Boston Globe reported that since the Watertown Town Council Meeting, New England ADL Regional Director Andrew H. Tarsy had called an emergency meeting of the regional ADL Board which voted to urge National ADL (Foxman) to revise their policy of Genocide denial. This story was covered by the New England Cable News in its evening broadcast.

The National ADL responded to the publication of the Boston Globe article with a statement (posted on the ADL website and to be placed as an ad in the Boston Globe and the New England Jewish Advocate) repeating the standard denialist euphemisms and citing their "neutrality" about the Armenian Genocide resolution, while stating that they do not find the genocide resolution "helpful" in helping Turkey come to grips with its past.

Immediately following the posting of the ADL statement, noplacefordenial.com was informed that the New England ADL Regional Director Andrew Tarsy had been FIRED, specifically over the Armenian Genocide issue.

The Boston Globe in its August 18th issue ran a front page article about the firing of Tarsy, including outrage expressed by the Jewish and Armenian American communities. According to the Globe story, the New England ADL board's executive committee “backed Tarsy and…..went a step further, resolving to support legislation now pending before Congress to acknowledge the deaths of 1.5 million Armenians during the World War I era as genocide.”

The Boston Globe ran its own editorial on August 18th chastising the National ADL for not characterizing the Armenian Genocide as "genocide" for perceived geopolitical reasons.

The Boston Globe ran an op-ed on August 18th by State Representative Rachel Kaprielian and Harvard Law professor Alan Dershowitz speaking about the imperative of speaking openly and unequivocally about genocide.

On August 19, the Boston Globe reported that "at least two prominent board members of the regional Anti-Defamation League have resigned in protest over the national ADL's decision to fire the regional director for acknowledging the slaughter of Armenians during World War I as genocide." The report added that a meeting of the entire New England regional ADL board has been scheduled for Wednesday morning.
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ANCEM PRESS RELEASE: FOXMAN FORCES SHAKEUP IN NEW ENGLAND ADL

Armenian National Committee of Eastern Massachusetts
47 Nichols Avenue
Watertown, MA 02472
ancem@Hotmail.com

PRESS RELEASE
August 19, 2007

ADL National Leader Fires Regional Director Andrew H. Tarsy; Two
Regional Board Members Resign in Protest

ANC Calls for ADL National Leadership to End Genocide Denial;
Support Armenian Genocide Legislation (H.Res.106 / S.Res.106)

WATERTOWN, MA – Turmoil in the New England Regional Anti-Defamation
League (ADL) continued this weekend with two Board Members resigning following
the firing of Regional Director Andrew H. Tarsy, for public calls on ADL
National Director Abe Foxman to reverse policy and properly characterize the Armenian Genocide, reported the Armenian National Committee of Eastern Massachusetts (ANC-EM).

“We are disappointed and outraged to hear that Mr. Tarsy was removed from his position simply for speaking openly and honestly about the Armenian Genocide,” stated ANCEM chairperson Sharistan Melkonian. “Mr. Foxman and the ADL National Leadership are clearly out of step with their own membership, who have rightly concluded that genocide denial is morally indefensible and will only serve to diminish the credibility of this once-respected civil rights organization.”

Reports of Tarsy’s firing and the resignations by Stewart L. Cohen and Boston City Councilman Mike Ross came just days after the New England ADL Board voted to call on the ADL National leadership to reverse their position, properly characterize the Armenian Genocide as ‘genocide,’ and support Armenian Genocide legislation (H.Res.106 / S.Res.106). According to an August 17th Boston Globe article, Tarsy told reporter Keith O’Brien, "I strongly disagree with ADL's national position. It's my strong hope that we'll be able to move forward in a relationship with the Armenian community and the community in general." Just 48 hours prior, Tarsy had defended the ADL National’s genocide denial position at the Watertown Town Council. Tarsy, clearly uncomfortable in his remarks before the capacity crowd at the Council meeting, was challenged when he evaded the word ‘genocide’ in describing the murder of over 1.5 million Armenians by the OttomanTurkish government from 1915-1923. A myriad of Watertown residents urged the Town Council to take action, including ANC-EM spokesperson Grace Kehetian Kulegian, who stated "on behalf of Watertown's Armenian community - and our century-long history of service and sacrifice for our town - we call upon the Town Council to dissociate itself from the ADL until such time that: The Anti-Defamation League, through its National Director, Mr. Foxman, openly and unequivocally acknowledges the Armenian Genocide and supports congressional affirmation of this crime against humanity."

The Watertown Town Council voted unanimously that evening to cut ties with the ADL, by disassociating with their “No Place for Hate” program. Following the New England ADL’s public call for ADL National to reverse their position, the National ADL posted an “Open Letter to the New England Community,” refraining from characterizing the events of 1915-1923 as ‘genocide.’ The letter also claimed that the ADL “takes no position” on Armenian Genocide legislation (H.Res.106 / S.Res.106) while stating “We believe that legislative efforts outside of Turkey are counterproductive to the goal of having Turkey itself come to grips with its past.”

“Mr. Foxman is sadly reading from a page in the Turkish government's genocide denial playbook,” stated Melkonian. “Instead of helping Turkey confront this dark page in human history, the ADL is enabling its continued genocide denial – a decision which comes at the expense of its own reputation." The ADL statement comes as additional towns in Massachusetts prepare to follow Watertown’s lead in ending their association with the ADL and Armenian Genocide denial.

Foxman’s claims of neutrality regarding Armenian Genocide legislation contradict earlier published statements in the Boston Globe and Los Angeles Times, where Foxman noted “The Turks and Armenians need to revisit their past. The Jewish community shouldn't be the arbiter of that history. And I don't think the U.S. Congress should be the arbiter either.” According to press reports, Foxman joined the American Jewish Committee, B’nai B’rith and JINSA in forwarding a letter from Turkey’s Jewish Community citing concerns about Armenian Genocide legislation to Members of Congress. According to an April 27th Jewish Telegraphic Agency article by Ron Kampeas, the ADL and JINSA “added their own statements opposing the bill.”

The Watertown - ADL controversy erupted in recent weeks, with Boston area civil rights advocates, and local Armenian and Jewish American community members expressing disappointment and outrage at recent statements by ADL National Director Abe Foxman denying the Armenian Genocide. Editorials and community letters in the local Watertown Tab and Boston Globe cast a shadow on the credibility of the anti-racism program, “No Place for Hate”, due to its affiliation with the ADL.

Reporter Keith O’Brien first reported Tarsy’s firing in a front-page Boston Globe article on August 18th. The news was accompanied by a strongly worded Globe editorial, titled “No Synonyms for Genocide,” arguing that the national ADL should not “pick and choose among genocides,” and stating “if the national ADL doesn't acknowledge the [Armenian] genocide, it is complicit in a cover-up.” An op/ed coauthored by Massachusetts State Representative Rachel Kaprielian and Harvard Law professor Alan Dershowitz, published in the Boston Globe on the same day, noted “For any organization or official to believe that there are differing sides to the Armenian Genocide is as much an outrage as it would be for Germany to say that the work of Jewish scholars, witnesses, and victim testimonies represented merely the "Jewish side" of the Holocaust.” Kaprielian and Dershowitz went on to praise the New England Regional ADL for taking a principled stand, noting that the “regional chapter was courageous and correct in its decision to affirm its position that the [Armenian] genocide was fact.”

For a full listing of the press coverage this issue has received, visit: www.noplacefordenial.com
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Letter to the New England ADL Board Sent by the National ADL

The following was in the print edition of the Boston Globe (Aug 18), but did not appear in the online edition.

Excerpts
From a letter to the local Anti-Defamation League board sent yesterday by Glen. S. Lewy, national chairman of the ADL, and Abraham H. Foxman, national director:

“At times, we are faced with painfully difficult choices. The dispute between Armenians and Turkey is one such issue. We believe it is necessary for us to protect the interests of the Jewish community in Turkey, work for Israel’s safety and security, and combat extremism. At the same time, we have acknowledged the massacres of Armenians at the hands of the Ottoman Empire and called on Turkey to do more to confront its past and reconcile with Armenia. We will continue to press Turkey, publicly and privately…

A Regional Board, advisory in nature, is not authorized to act by publicly advocating a policy contrary to ADL’s national position on a substantive issue…

The Armenian controversy was thrust upon ADL, we did not seek it out. Whatever the heartfelt position people may have on this difficult issue, there can be no compromise on how national policy is set…

ADL’s employees are not required to abandon their personal beliefs on all the positions they hold…But individuals employed by the ADL are not free to publicly challenge a policy. No enterprise, particularly an advocacy and policy organization such as ours, can survive without the ability to have its employees carry forward its positions and agenda.

Being unwilling to support and defend our policies, or worse, speaking publicly against a particular policy, challenges the very organization that is home to that employee. If his r her position is honestly held, and employee facing this dilemma should resign…No organization can or should tolerate such an act of open defiance.

The New England Regional Board Executive Committee’s actions present two immediate challenges. The first resolution, expressing unconditional support for the New England Regional Director and calling him to retain his position would require ADL to adopt a position in opposition to our very ability to operate effectively. That is an impossible request to honor.

The second resolution, stating a policy that is at odds with a national ADL position of long standing is not the appropriate method provided through the by-laws and practices of the ADL to consider policy issues. This has been discussed with the leadership in Boston. The executive Committee in Boston did not even give 24 hours for us to respond. By publicly announcing its dissent in the Boston Globe it has, regrettably, made the resolution of these issues much more difficult.”
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2007.08.16 -- Watertown Tab: Letter To the Editor

08/16 -- Watertown can teach tolerance without ADL

A debt of gratitude is owed Watertown’s Armenian community for spotlighting the duplicity of the Anti-Defamation League in its sponsorship of the “No Place for Hate” program. Most would agree there is no problem with the program; it’s the sponsor that’s the problem.

While the ADL and its NPFH program purports to promote understanding and respect, in actuality the ADL has taken upon itself the prerogative to determine in what context the words “holocaust” and “genocide” can be used, and by whom, and defames anyone who dares criticize Israel or expresses views and analyses of the Israel/Palestine conflict that the ADL construes as pro-Palestinian.
A few cases in point:

Abraham Foxman, national ADL director, while stopping short of calling President Carter an anti-Semite, has stated that in his book, Palestine: Peace No Apartheid, Carter is “engaging in anti-Semitism.”

The ADL has condemned as “bordering on anti-Semitism” recommendations made by the New England branch of the United Methodist Church for selective divestment from companies identified as supporting the Israeli occupation in Palestine.

Foxman accused United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan of “blatant one-sidedness” in his comments about Israel’s war against Hezbollah in Lebanon. Yet, according to a correspondent for Haaretz (an Israeli newspaper), Kofi Annan had been very balanced in his comments, for example calling on “Hezbollah to stop its deliberate targeting of Israeli population centers.”

The ADL called on delegates to the American Library Association’s “to rescind a biased, anti-Israel resolution” — On the Destruction of Palestinian Libraries, Archives, and Other Cultural Institutions.

Andrew Tarsy, director of the ADL’s New England region, in an op-ed piece published in the Lawrence Eagle-Tribune, called Wheels of Justice (a pro-Palestinian group invited to present at Andover High School) “anti-Israel extremists.”

The ADL branded Ralph Nader a “bigot” for suggesting that the U.S. should proceed in a new direction regarding the Israeli/Palestinian issue.

Foxman demanded that Congressperson Charles Rangel, D-New York, apologize for his comments that compared the silence of the public on the Iraq war and the silence of the world during the Holocaust. Reminiscent of the Armenian genocide debate, Rangel responded: “Why does Foxman have nothing to say when I compare the silence over the war in Iraq with the silence of the world during the genocides in Yugoslavia, in Rwanda or in the Sudan? This is not a game of words. … It is about man’s inhumanity to man wherever it occurs.”

When the ADL was founded, anti-Semitism was commonplace and accepted. There was indeed need for an organization and program to counter such bigotry. The ADL was also a force against prejudice during the civil rights movement.

Unfortunately, in the last 30 years, the ADL has used its formidable resources to stifle debate about U.S. policy towards Israel, while defaming anyone who dares question ADL positions. For example, see American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee v. Anti-Defamation League of B’nai B’rith, 1999. Because of ADL labeling tactics, segments of our society, including the Arab and Muslim community and Jewish peace activists, have been condemned in a climate of suspicion reminiscent of the McCarthy era.

I believe Watertown should sever its relationship with the ADL and its NPFH program. The Watertown community includes dedicated and creative citizens who can develop our own program, one that truly embraces diversity and respects differences of opinion.

Lois Mastrangelo
School Street
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VIDEO OF WATERTOWN TOWN COUNCIL MEETING -- RECORDED ON TUESDAY, AUGUST 14, 2007

On August 14 2007, the Watertown Town Council unanimously voted to sever its ties with the ADL, citing its denial of the Armenian Genocide. Click here to read the full report. (Click here to watch video in YouTube window.)
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WATERTOWN ENDS PARTNERSHIP WITH “NO PLACE FOR HATE”

Concerned by the Anti-Defamation League’s Denial of the Armenian Genocide, Town Council Cuts Ties with Tolerance Program

ANCEM Press Release

August 15, 2007

WATERTOWN, Mass. (A.W.)—On Tuesday, August 14, the Watertown, Massachusetts Town Council unanimously voted to rescind its affiliation with the “No Place for Hate” anti-racism and tolerance promotion program, citing statements denying the Armenian Genocide by Abraham Foxman, National Director of the program’s sponsor, the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), reported the Armenian National Committee of Eastern Massachusetts (ANCEM).

“The Armenian National Committee of Eastern Massachusetts applauds the Town Council for stating clearly and unequivocally that there is no place for Armenian Genocide denial in Watertown,” stated ANCEM chairperson Sharistan Melkonian. “We hope that this action will prompt the ADL and its National Director Abe Foxman to rethink their profoundly immoral policies on this issue, properly recognize the Armenian Genocide, and put an end their efforts to prevent its reaffirmation by Congress.”

The proclamation, introduced by Watertown Councillor-At-Large Marilyn Petitto Devaney, states: “The Town Council has become aware that the ADL, denies the facts of the horrific Armenian Genocide, that occurred from 1915 to 1923, in which the premeditated, systematic and deliberate murders of more that one and one half million Armenians from 1915 to 1923 took place, as well as continuing to deprive the Armenian people of a right to their history - The Town Council can not continue to join with such an organization.” The statement went on to reaffirm Watertown’s commitment to “celebrate its diversity and continue to honor its tradition of tolerance and respect for all people for which it has always been known.”

COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND ANCEM EXPRESS CONCERNS IN PUBLIC STATEMENTS

Several Watertown residents and civil rights activists spoke poignantly before an overflow crowd in attendance at the Council meeting to express their concerns about local affiliation with the ADL’s genocide denial policies, moving Town Council members to take decisive action and encourage other Massachusetts towns to follow their example.

In his remarks to the panel, Watertown’s “No Place for Hate” (NPFH) Co-Chairman Will Twombly explained that the NPFH committee had met with New England ADL Regional Director Andrew Tarsy and had asked for clarification regarding the ADL’s “unacceptable” position on the Armenian Genocide, which he stated, “could not be ignored.” A proposed amendment by Twombly and the NPFH asking for a 90-day suspension of the program, in an effort to turn the situation into a “teaching moment” for the ADL, was not incorporated in the final Watertown proclamation.

Project Save Director Ruth Thomasian, the only Armenian American serving on the Watertown NPFH Committee, noted that “every member of the ‘No Place for Hate’ committee was appalled by the ADL’s position on the Armenian Genocide.” She went on to express confidence that a reformed tolerance committee would “continue its good work in the schools and in the community.”

In his remarks, Tarsy highlighted the role of the ADL and its programs that celebrate and promote diversity and fair treatment. He went on to explain the ADL’s position on the Armenian “massacres and tragedy” – intentionally avoiding the term “genocide” -- and its role in pressuring Turkey to do more to “recognize and reconcile.” However, he noted that the ADL was in a difficult position due to the Israeli-Turkey relationship and the Jewish community in Turkey. While explaining that ADL was not opposed to the current Congressional Armenian Genocide resolutions (H.Res.106/S.Res.106), he made no mention of ADL National Director Abraham Foxman’s statements in the Los Angeles Times and Boston Globe opposing Congressional adoption of Armenian Genocide legislation. It was particularly unsettling for Watertown’s Armenian community to witness the ADL’s genocide denial rhetoric first-hand.

Watertown resident Narini Badalian repeated the infamous Hitler quote about the annihilation of the Armenians. She went on to say that “ [In Watertown High School] I learned not to be bullied by politics.” After arguing for the importance of the historical record and pointing out the ADL’s hypocrisy, she concluded, “I don’t think the ADL has a monopoly on fighting intolerance.”

Twombly countered Tarsy’s efforts to explain Foxman’s reticence to recognize the Armenian Genocide, noting that “The ADL believes its position is justified for the well being of the Jewish community in Turkey. I say emphatically - the the ADL is ignoring a clear moral imperative [by denying the Armenian Genocide].”

Watertown resident and ANCA Eastern Region Chairman Dikran Kaligian commented on Tarsy’s assertion that Foxman and the ADL have not advocated against the Armenian Genocide resolution, stating, “When Mr. Tarsy or Mr. Foxman say, ‘We don’t believe this should be in Congress’- to say that as a person is fine and one thing- but when you say it publicly that’s lobbying,” explained Kaligian.

Watertown resident Lois Mastrangelo said, “When the ADL was founded, anti-Semitism was commonplace and accepted. There was indeed need for an organization and program to counter such bigotry... Unfortunately, in the last 30 years, the ADL has used its formidable resources to stifle debate about U.S. policy towards Israel and to monitor individuals and organizations and provide intelligence to local police departments, while defaming anyone who dares question ADL positions. … Because of ADL labeling tactics, segments of our society, including the Arab-Muslim community and Jewish peace activists, have been condemned in a climate of suspicion reminiscent of the McCarthy era,” she concluded.

Merrie Najimy from the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee said, “While the ADL does watch skinheads and the actions of the Klan, it does not spare First Amendment groups from its investigative activities.” She added, “I share the outrage of the Armenian community but there is a larger issue: The ADL has an agenda. We must ask ourselves if this is the group we want to be aligned with to advocate civil rights.”

In her statement before the Town Council, ANCEM representative Grace Kehetian-Kulegian explained that “We are confident that the just resolution of this matter will deepen Watertown’s commitment to tolerance, strengthen No Place for Hate’s ability to speak with real moral clarity, and - for the sake of its members and its own future as an organization - end the ADL’s truly unfortunate affiliation with genocide denial."

TOWN COUNCIL MEMBERS SPEAK OUT AND CAST VOTES

Prior to the vote on the proclamation, Town Council members had the opportunity to address the audience. Each thanked the hard work of Watertown’s NPFH committee and highlighted the positive aspects of the program; however, all were concerned with the ADL co-sponsorship in light of its denial of the Armenian genocide.

Watertown Town Council vice-president Mark Sideris commented that “the [NPFH] committee has done a great job in the schools... I think by Watertown withdrawing its support, it sends a message—a clear message—that something is wrong and they [ADL] have to do something about that...”

Councilor Stephen Corbett noted, “I really hate to lose the program. I would like to see us reconstitute the program under our own leadership. But I will support the proclamation. It is not often that a town council gets put in the center of state and national politics.”

Councilor Angeline Kounelis stated, “I am of Greek heritage and very proud. As a community we will walk together to make our lives better and our community stronger.”

Council president Clyde Younger, commenting on the heartfelt speeches made throughout the evening by Watertown residents, explained, “We haven’t had this outpouring of emotion for some years. When you come into the chamber, you never really know how you’re going to vote. You try to wait until you have all the facts... I also will be voting in favor of this proclamation.”

With Watertown having one of the highest concentrations of Armenians in the United States, the Councilors hoped to set a precedent by highlighting the improper stance of the ADL and, in their proclamation, urged national leaders to take up this issue. Council members expressed confidence that a similar tolerance program would be developed by the community—only without the ADL affiliation.

Proclamation author Marilyn Petitto Devaney promised that she would take the proclamation to other communities and the Massachusetts Municipal Association and encourage them to cut ties with “No Place for Hate” and the ADL.

After statements by Town Council members, Devaney introduced the proclamation, seconded by councilor-at-large Mark Sideris. It passed unanimously (8-0), rescinding the town’s partnership with “No Place for Hate.” A sign denoting Watertown as a “No Place for Hate” city was removed immediately.

Following passage of the proclamation, Devaney stated, “I believe it was important for the town of Watertown to rescind its membership in ‘No Place for Hate’ and end its affiliation with the ADL. With this proclamation, I plan to go to the other communities who have joined the NPFH network and urge them to sever their ties with the ADL.”

Hi Res versions of the photographs shown in this article are available upon request. Please write to info@noplacefordenial.com .

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PROCLAMATION: Introduced by Marilyn M. Petitto Devaney

TOWN COUNCIL
TOWN OF WATERTOWN
ADMINISTRATION BUILDING, WATERTOWN, MA 02472.4410
(617)972-6470, FAX (617)972-6485

PROCLAMATION

WHEREAS: the Town Council on July 12, 2005 voted unanimously to proclaim
Watertown a "No Place for Hate" municipality; and,

WHEREAS: The Town Council committed to fulfill the criteria in good faith, to join with its sponsors: the anti-defamation league, (ADL) Massachusetts Municipal Association and other coalition members to take specific actions to combat bias and promote respect for people, and

WHEREAS: The Town Council has become aware that the ADL, denies the facts of the horrific Armenian Genocide, that occurred from 1915 to 1923, in which the premeditated, systematic and deliberate murders of more that one and one half million Armenians from 1915 to 1923 took place, as well as continuing to deprive the Armenian people of a right to their history - The Town Council can not continue to join with such an organization.

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Town Council of the City known as the Town of Watertown hereby rescinds its partnership of the "No Place for Hate" co-sponsored by ADL.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Town Council of the City known as the Town of Watertown, although it withdraws from the aforementioned group of municipalities, hereby proclaims that Watertown will continue to celebrate its diversity and continue to honor its tradition of tolerance and respect for all people for which it has always been known.

SPONSORED BY: ____________________________________________
MARILYN M. PETITTO DEVANEY, COUNCILLOR-AT-LARGE

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the Great Seal of the Town of Watertown to be affixed on this fourteenth day of August, 2007.

________________________________________
CLYDE L. YOUNGER, COUNCIL PRESIDENT

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ANCEM Statement at Watertown Town Council Meeting

Presented by ANCEM Representative Grace Kehetian Kulegian
August 14, 2007

I rise today to briefly offer the Armenian National Committee's views on an issue of profound meaning to the Armenians of Watertown - and to all of our town's residents who share our commitment to tolerance, respect for diversity, and – ultimately - to creating a world without discrimination and genocide.

Like all of you, we regret that the controversy over the Anti-Defamation League and No Place for Hate has reached this point.

But we could not remain silent in the face of such blatant hypocrisy on a core issue of our common morality - in the face of those who preach tolerance but practice divisiveness and denial.

We had hoped to resolve this issue based on our shared values.

But for the sake of our town, for the sake of No Place for Hate, and on behalf of the many kind and decent members of the ADL, we have taken a principled stand for the truth.

We did not invite this controversy - sparked by the hateful words spoken on behalf of the ADL, by one its misguided officials Abraham Foxman.

Words far outside the proud tradition of the ADL and entirely alien to noble legacy of the American Jewish community as a powerful voice for truth and justice.

Words that have grown more offensive and insulting with each new interview and article.

Words that echo the denialist rhetoric of the Turkish government.

Hypocritical words that strikes at the very heart of the ADL's credibility, that undermine No Place for Hate's ability to make a difference, and, sadly, stain Watertown's reputation as a town that fosters diversity.

Although, we did not begin this conflict, we are committed to seeing this difficult issue through.

We are confident that the just resolution of this matter will deepen Watertown's commitment to tolerance, strengthen No Place for Hate's ability to speak with real moral clarity, and - for the sake of its members and its own future as an organization - end the ADL's truly unfortunate affiliation with genocide denial.

This is an issue that demands action - clear and decisive action by the Council.

On behalf of Watertown's Armenian community - and our century-long history of service and sacrifice for our town - we call upon the Town Council to dissociate itself from the ADL until such time that:

The Anti-Defamation League, through its National Director, Mr. Foxman, openly and unequivocally acknowledges the Armenian Genocide and supports congressional affirmation of this crime against humanity.

Thank you.
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BREAKING NEWS: WATERTOWN VOTES TO SEVER TIES WITH ANTI-DEFAMATION LEAGUE CITING ARMENIAN GENOCIDE DENIAL

WATERTOWN, MA – The Watertown, Massachusetts Town Council voted unanimously this evening to cut ties with the Anti-Defamation League, citing concerns about ADL National Director Abraham Foxman’s denial of the Armenian Genocide and opposition to Congressional legislation reaffirming that crime against humanity, reported the Armenian National Committee of Eastern Massachusetts (ANCEM).

“The ANCEM applauds the Town Council for stating clearly and unequivocally that there is no place for Armenian Genocide denial in Watertown,” stated ANCEM chairperson Sharistan Melkonian “We hope that this action will prompt the ADL and its National Chairman Abe Foxman to rethink their flawed policies on this issue, recognize the Armenian Genocide and end their efforts to stop its reaffirmation by Congress.”

The proclamation, introduced by Watertown Councillor-At-Large Marilyn Petitto Devaney, stated: “The Town Council has become aware that the ADL, denies the facts of the horrific Armenian Genocide, that occurred from 1915 to 1923, in which the premeditated, systematic and deliberate murders of more that one and one half million Armenians from 1915 to 1923 took place, as well as continuing to deprive the Armenian people of a right to their history - The Town Council can not continue to join with such an organization.”The proclamation went on to reaffirm Watertown’s commitment to “celebrate its diversity and continue to honor its tradition of tolerance and respect for all people for which it has always been known.”

Watertown residents spoke poignantly before the capacity crowd in attendance to express their concerns about local affiliation with the ADL’s genocide denial policies, moving Town Council members to take decisive action and encourage other Massachusetts towns to follow in their footsteps.

In her remarks before the Town Council, ANCEM representative Grace Kulegian stated that “We are confident that the just resolution of this matter will deepen Watertown’s commitment to tolerance, strengthen No Place for Hate’s ability to speak with real moral clarity, and - for the sake of its members and its own future as an organization - end the ADL’s truly unfortunate affiliation with genocide denial."

Complete coverage of the Watertown Town Council decision will be provided shortly.

The Watertown - ADL controversy erupted in recent weeks, with Boston area civil rights advocates, and local Armenian and Jewish American community members expressing disappointment and outrage at recent statements by ADL National Director Abe Foxman denying the Armenian Genocide. Editorials and community letters in the local Watertown Tab and Boston Globe cast a shadow on the credibility of the anti-racism program, No Place for Hate, due to its affiliation with the ADL.
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2007.08.17 -- Arlington Advocate: Letter to the Editor Published on August 17, 2007

Letter: Arlington should sever ADL ties

Arlington, Mass. - I was one of those who raised concerns about the Anti-Defamation League-sponsored “No Place for Hate” program coming to Arlington. The reason was the ADL’s abysmal record of selectively determining which groups were to be supported and which were okay to discriminate against.

Today in Watertown, a town with a large Armenian population and a “No Place for Hate” program, controversy has erupted because the ADL’s national director has publicly denied the Armenian genocide. Why? Because Turkey is an ally of Israel and Turkey does not acknowledge its slaying of 1.5 million Armenians in 1915.

The ADL began commendably as an agency that fought anti-Semitism and later other forms of discrimination. Unfortunately, its primary mission today is to support the actions and policies of the government of Israel. Over the past 30 years, it has allied itself with rightwing forces in our country and has actively worked to stifle critics of Israel (including Jewish progressives) and to defame and silence those who disagreed with ADL positions.

I do think Arlington should welcome diversity and stand against bigotry and discrimination. For that reason, I believe Arlington should denounce the ADL Director’s statements on the Armenian genocide and sever its official relationship with the “No Place for Hate” program. In its place, Arlington should initiate an independent program that truly embraces all people and promotes diversity of belief as well.

Marilyn Levin
Dudley Street
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2007.08.16 -- Jewish Advocate: Letters to the Editor Published on August 16, 2007

Letters to the editor

Don’t Single Out The ADL

Your article misconstrues our position on the Armenian massacre by the Ottoman Turks at the end of World War I (“ADL uproar in Watertown sparks debate on genocide,” Aug. 10).
ADL never has denied that the massacres took place. We believe that the Turkish government must do more than it has to confront its history and to seek reconciliation with the Armenian people. We have said that to the Turkish government and its officials, and continue to do so. We also continue to work to convince Turkey to pursue recognition and reconciliation, and we will seek ways to encourage this process.
We don’t understand why you are singling us out. ADL’s position on this issue is in line with that of a number of other major American Jewish organizations, who believe, like us, that efforts in Washington to enact legislation on the Turkey-Armenian question are counterproductive to the goal of having Turkey itself come to grips with its past. That is why we have taken no position on what action Congress should take on the measure.
We continue to believe this is the best way to proceed, particularly because Turkish Jews have expressed concerns about the impact on them of a U.S. Congressional resolution, because Turkey is a key strategic ally and friend of the United States, because Turkey is a critical friend of Israel and because Turkey is the most critical country in the world in the life and death struggle between Islamic extremists and moderate Islam. We also believe that legislative efforts outside of Turkey will continue to be counterproductive.
The controversy in Watertown is nothing more than an unfortunate attempt to derail a successful community program that works to confront hatred, prejudice and bigotry. It is sad that people who speak in terms of respect are indifferent to the positive impact of the “No Place for Hate” program.

Andrew H. Tarsy
New England Regional Director
Anti-Defamation League


We Can’t Deny A Genocide

Congratulations on getting this story out. It is indeed a very delicate issue and you’ve done a fabulous job.
The problem here is not just with Abe Foxman’s duplicity. The problem here is a lack of a long-term vision on the part of certain Jewish groups, and not just on the part of the ADL. If denialist agendas are allowed to succeed in repressing the reality of the Armenian genocide, then no one is safe. Next they will feel empowered to successfully deny the Holocaust.
The Armenian genocide occurred 90 years ago, and we see how easy it has become today for someone like Abe Foxman to simply refer to it as “history” and say “I don’t know what happened!” In 50 years or less, when there are no more Holocaust survivors, we will likely hear similar “arguments” from high-ranking public figures – just like we are hearing from Abe Foxman today.
Turkish denialists are gloating about their success at enlisting Jewish support in their campaign to defeat the Armenian Genocide resolution. But make no mistake, they are using the same tactics that are applied for Holocaust denial. And they are paying handsomely for it: There is ample evidence that Turkey has not only hired K-Street lobbyists but also prominent Holocaust deniers and anti-Semites to apply their sinister methods onto the Armenian genocide and the Armenian people.
Ironically, these same anti-Semites who voiced complaints about a “Holocaust industry” are now the ones profiting from a “denialism industry.”
In the long-term, it would indeed be a historical calamity if organizations such as the ADL inadvertently contributed to the propagation of such a “denialist industry.”

Dany Beylerian
Memphis, Tenn.


The Turks Are Not Trustworthy

I would like to comment on the article by Raphael Kohan (“ADL uproar in Watertown sparks debate on genocide,” Aug. 10) tackling the issue of ADL’s position on the Armenian genocide and the split that has resulted within the Jewish community.
As survivors of the Armenian genocide – yes today every living Armenian is a survivor of that crime that wanted to put an end to the existence of the Armenians – we look at the position of some Jewish organizations, and indeed the state of Israel, with utter sadness and disappointment. Here are a people, Jews, struggling daily against revisionism and the threat of war with a neighbor that threatens the existence of Israel, denying the same right to another people to establish the truth and safeguard the future by eliminating the threat of physical annihilation. Armenia today is surrounded by two Turkic nations who want nothing short of the elimination of the state of Armenia.
Armenians have lived long enough with the Turks to “taste” the benevolence of Turkish friendship. Israel is trying to convince herself that a moderate Islamic Turkey, whatever that means, is a good alternative to what surrounds her. History has shown how an entire population of this region were brought to the verge of elimination by believing in such deceitful friendship. The Young Turk regime in 1908 was supposed to liberate the citizens of the Ottoman Empire from the tyranny of the Sultan.

Zareh Sahakian
Montreal


Don’t Ignore Armenian Loss

Under Article II of the Convention, the murder of 1.5 million Armenians is genocide. Genocide “acts with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnic, racial or religious group.” Simply put, some things are beyond qualification, and genocide is one of them. Using Turkish airspace and bases, sharing water resources and secrets, maintaining good relations for security have little to do with acknowledging the past. For God’s sake, we trade with Germany; we are tourists in Poland. The Anti-Defamation League and the American Jewish Committee make attempts to explain our community’s neutral stance, distance us, keep us bystanders to the Armenian genocide. The absolute minimal requirement of our community is to acknowledge that what really happened, really happened. Name it: genocide. Armenians are mad with desperation because withholding affirmation of their historical agony is crazy-making and, worse, keeps the wounds alive and, worse still, continues the wounding.

Tamar Miller
Cambridge
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PRESS KIT: A History of Opposing Recognition of the Armenian Genocide

The following are unedited excerpts from the American, Israeli and Turkish press.


2007

Turkey was so alarmed by a proposed House resolution calling the mass slaughter of Armenians by Turks during World War I a "genocide" that it dispatched its foreign minister to persuade American Jewish leaders to lobby against it.

At a suite at the Willard Hotel in Washington on February 5, Abdullah Gül met with representatives of the Anti-Defamation League, American Jewish Committee, American Jewish Congress, American Israel Public Affairs Committee, Friends of Lubavitch, Jewish Institute for National Security Affairs, and United Jewish Communities. According to one participant in the meeting, the Turkish foreign minister "made a hard sell," against House resolution 106, whose short title is "Affirmation of the United States Record on the Armenian Genocide Resolution."

Turkey Up in Arms over House Resolution against Armenian ‘Genocide'
By Eli Lake - The New York Sun
February 22, 2007


The Turkish lobbying has had some effect. B'nai B'rith International, the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), the American Jewish Committee and the Jewish Institute for National Security Affairs (JINSA) are set to convey a letter from Turkish Jews who oppose the resolution to U.S. congressional leaders. The ADL and JINSA have added their own statements opposing the bill. "I don't think congressional action will help reconcile the issue," said ADL National Director Abraham Foxman. "The resolution takes a position; it comes to a judgment. "The Turks and Armenians need to revisit their past. The Jewish community shouldn't be the arbiter of that history, nor should the U.S. Congress."

U.S. Jews enter debate on Armenian/Turkish history
By Ron Kampeas - Jewish Telegraphic Agency
April 27, 2007


Four large U.S. Jewish groups have lent support to Turkey's position in opposing the passage of two resolutions pending in Congress that call for official recognition of World War I-era killings of Armenians in the Ottoman Empire as genocide. B'nai B'rith International, the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), the American Jewish Committee and the Jewish Institute for National Security Affairs (JINSA) have recently conveyed a letter from Turkish Jews who oppose the resolution to U.S. congressional leaders, officials from the groups told the Turkish Daily News.

In their letter, leading Turkish Jews have urged congressional leaders to postpone considering the genocide measures. In conveying the letter to Congress officials, the four U.S. Jewish groups tacitly agreed to its contents. Going further, the ADL and JINSA have also added their own statements opposing the bill.

Four Jewish groups back Turkey on Armenian genocide
Turkish Daily News
April 26, 2007


Jewish support for the Armenian grievances has not been unanimous. Rep. Adam B. Schiff (D-Burbank), who represents a large Armenian constituency and has introduced House Resolution 106 calling for U.S. recognition of the 1915 genocide, has sent letters to four Jewish organizations criticizing their positions. The Jewish legislator admonished the American Jewish Committee (AJ Committee), B'nai B'rith International, the Anti-Defamation League and Jewish Institute for National Security Affairs (JINSA), which had jointly transmitted to House leaders a letter from the organized Jewish Community of Turkey.

In his written response, Schiff took the action of the American Jewish organizations as "tantamount to an implicit and inappropriate endorsement of the position of the letter's authors." He added, "I cannot see how major Jewish American organizations can in good conscience and in any way support efforts to deny the undeniable." In a phone interview, Schiff reaffirmed his criticism of the Jewish organizations and surmised that their opposition was influenced by Israel, worried about harming its good relationship with Turkey. "It would be a terrible mistake if the Israeli government became involved in this matter," he said.

The Armenian Genocide Debate Pits Moral Values Against Realpolitik
By Tom Tugend, Jewish Journal
May 4, 2007


Post-August 21, 2007

U.S. Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), who is the lead sponsor of the congressional resolution, rejected any attempt to connect the controversy to the Israeli-Turkish alliance. "There is no connection between what the U.S. Congress does on this resolution and Israel, unless ADL makes one," Schiff said. The ADL "may end up hurting Israel by bringing Israel into the fight."

Schiff acknowledged that Turkey might be sending such a message to Jewish organizations. But, he added, Jewish groups "should have told Turkey from the beginning, 'We're not involved in this fight, and if we get involved it will be on the side of recognition.' They didn't do that, and now I think they are suffering the repercussions."

[David] Harris, of AJC, dismissed concerns that congressional actions could adversely impact Turkey's Jews or the country's ties to Israel.

Jewish Telegraphic Agency: Under fire, ADL recognizes Armenian killings as genocide
Ben Harris
August 21, 2007


And the final thing the Turks "get" from Israel is access to the Jewish lobby in Washington. Talk candidly to Turkish academics, politicians and journalists and they will say that one of the reasons Israel is valuable to Turkey is because of the ADL, the American Jewish Congress, B'nai Brith and similar organizations. Without a strong lobby of its own in Washington, Turkey looks to these organizations to put in a good word in Congress or with the administration when issues of importance to Ankara - such as issues regarding the Armenians or Cyprus - make their way to those bodies.

Diplomacy: The politics of principles
Herb Keinon, Jerusalem Post
August 23, 2007


Foxman said in his letter that the ADL had huge respect for the Turkish people and has never desired to put the Turkish people and their leaders into a difficult situation, expressing deep regret over what the Turkish people had to go through in the past few days since it agreed to recognize the alleged genocide, reversing a long-held policy, the Anatolia news agency said……"The wrong step that has been taken is corrected," said Erdoğan in subsequent comments to reporters. "They said they shared our sensitivity and expressed the mistake they made. … They said they will continue to give us all the support they have given so far," he added.

ADL Corrects ‘Genocide’ Mistake in Letter, Erdoğan Says
Today's Zaman
August 25, 2007


Turkey expects Israel to "deliver" American Jewish organizations and ensure that the US Congress does not pass a resolution characterizing as genocide the massacre of Armenians during World War I, Turkish Ambassador to Israel Namik Tan told The Jerusalem Post Sunday. ...Tan said he understood that Israel's position had not changed, but "Israel should not let the [US] Jewish community change its position. This is our expectation and this is highly important, highly important."... In the eyes of the Turkish people, Tan said, his country's strategic relationship with Israel was not with Israel alone, but with the whole Jewish world. "They [the Turkish people] cannot make that differentiation," he said. Tan said he understood that the American Jewish organizations were just that - American Jewish organizations. But "we all know how they work in coordinating their efforts [with Israel]," he added. The Turkish people "are waiting for this effort on the part of Israel to straighten out, to put this issue in perspective," he said.

While senior Israeli government officials said Sunday that Israel was trying to explain to Turkey that it did not control the American Jewish organizations, Tan did not accept that argument. "On some issues there is no such thing as 'Israel cannot deliver‚'" he said, adding that this was one of those issues. Tan, who served two terms in Washington in the 1990s and worked closely with American Jewish organizations on this issue, said Israel had proven its ability to deliver the organizations on this matter in the past.

Turkey: 'Israel must get US Jews to back down'
Herb Keinon, Jerusalem Post
Aug 27, 2007


Meeting with representatives of groups including the Conference of Presidents, the Appeal of Conscience, the Foundation, the Anti-Defamation League, the American Jewish Congress, and Bnai Brith International in New York late Wednesday Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan described the genocide claims as baseless. The allegations were not supported by any scientific or historical grounding.

Following the meeting, Abraham Foxman, the National Director of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), said that at times there could be disagreement between friends, referring to the League’s had accepted the events of 1915 as being tantamount to genocide. However, Foxman said that the issue should not be the subject of a resolution of the US Congress. “We believe that a matter between Turkey and Armenia related to history should be tackled between the two parties, not in the US Congress or the parliament of any other country,” he said. “This is not a political matter and those in the Congress are not historians.”

Turkish PM meets representatives of US Jewish community
MSNBC
September 27, 2007


Malcolm Hoenlein [executive vice chairman of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations] [who] met with Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan during last month's UN General Assembly, said, "There is the same commitment on the part of the organized community to support Turkey."

In August, the Jewish-run Anti-Defamation League, facing pressure from grassroots activists, reversed its long-held policy of not recognizing the Armenian genocide when ADL National Director Abraham Foxman declared that what happened to the Armenians was "indeed tantamount to genocide." But Foxman maintained the ADL's position, opposing a congressional resolution on the matter.

Yet despite the [27-21 ] vote, US Jewish groups said they lobbied against the bill - just as they have done in the past. "Behind-the-scenes support [from US Jewish groups] has been quite powerful" in persuading congressmen to oppose the bill, said Cagaptay. It may yet help prevent the bill from being brought to a vote in the full House.

Jerusalem Post: Turkey blames US Jews for genocide bill
Yigal Schleifer
October 23, 3007


The real reason is that in war and peace, Turkey is a critical strategic ally and economic partner of the US and Israel, and the US and Israel do not want to risk upsetting this ally, so, with help in Congress from the ADL, AJC and the like, they enforce the lie that there was no Armenian genocide. Or if there was a genocide, it is not clear who was responsible. Or if it is clear that the Ottoman Empire was responsible, it is not clear that Turkey should inherit the guilt.

A key Jewish argument for continuing this policy of denial is that breaking it would endanger the 20,000 or so Jews of Turkey, whose leaders have warned against crossing their government on this matter. But if Israel and its lobby in Washington really believe this, then they've as much as sentenced the 25,000 Jews in Iran to death, haven't they? Is anyone in the Israeli government or AIPAC suggesting that they lower the volume on Iran for the sake of Iranian Jewry? So the Turkish Jewish community isn't a real reason for denying the Armenian genocide, it's another excuse.

Jerusalem Post: Rattling the Cage: Jews of power, Jews of truth
Larry Derfner
October 31, 2007


Under a longstanding relationship, Jewish organizations have lobbied against legislation undermining U.S.-Turkish relations (ADL Spars with Armenians, Oct. 29). This strengthened U.S.-Turkish strategic ties and Israel's ties with its sole regional ally. It also furthered the well-being of Turkey's 20,000 Jews - living amidst 70 million Muslims - who are protected by their government but menaced by extremists.

Armenian activists deserve respect for preserving the memory of horrors suffered by their ancestors. But there is respectable, if not unanimous, historical literature concluding there was no genocide. I saw evidence in Van, Turkey, of massacres of Muslims by Russian soldiers collaborating with Armenian insurgents.

Jerusalem Report: Letter: ADL and the Turks
Joel J. Sprayregen
(Former National Vice Chair of ADL and a member of the Executive Committee of JINSA)
November 26, 2007


Pre-2007

Every year on April 24, the day that Armenians commemorate the killings, a resolution calling for the use of the controversial term is proposed in Congress and then beaten back. Some Jewish groups claim credit for ensuring that such a resolution never passes.

Jewish advocacy groups, including the Jewish Institute for National Security Affairs, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, B’nai Brith and American Jewish Committee “have been working with the Turks on this issue” for more than 15 years, said Yola Habif Johnston, director for foundations and community outreach at Jinsa. “The Jewish lobby has quite actively supported Turkey in their efforts to prevent the so-called Armenian genocide resolution from passing,” she said.

Showdown Set in ‘Genocide’ Debate
Rebecca Spence, The Jewish Daily Forward
Sep 02, 2006


On Sunday, in the Armenian capital of Yerevan, the 90th anniversary of the Armenian genocide - the slaughter of at least 1 million Armenian civilians by the Turkish Ottoman regime - will be memorialized.

What does the State of Israel and many of its American Jewish lobbyists have to say about it, about this first genocide of the 20th century? If they were merely standing silent, that would be an improvement. Instead, on the subject of the Armenian genocide, Israel and some US Jewish organizations, notably the American Jewish Committee, have for many years acted aggressively as silencers. In Israel, attempts to broadcast documentaries about the genocide on state-run television have been aborted. A program to teach the genocide in public schools was watered down to the point that history teachers refused to teach it.

In the US Congress, resolutions to recognize the genocide and the Ottoman Turks' responsibility for it have been snuffed out by Turkey and its right-hand man on this issue, the Israel lobby.

Rattling the Cage: Playing politics with genocide
Larry Derfner – The Jerusalem Post
April 21, 2005


The Jewish community in the U.S. and the Israel issue are also entwined in the pressure campaign preventing approval of the resolution. "The community is certainly a player on this issue," said a key Jewish activist in Washington, who like many others involved in the issue, asked to remain off the record. Representatives of Jewish organizations reported "a sense of discomfort," as one described it, when coming to explain their position on the Armenian resolution; on one hand, the Jews as a community are sensitive to the tragedy experienced by the Armenian people, but on the other hand, there are Israel-Turkey relations to consider. "We have always had a level of uncertainty regarding the balance that should be kept between the moral factors and the strategic interests," one Jewish organization official cautiously explained.

Last year, Jewish organizations, primarily the American Jewish Committee (AJC), have been more active in thwarting the resolution acknowledging the Armenian genocide. This year the politicians managed of their own accord and the resolution will be postponed even without the involvement of Jewish organizations. But a central activist in a Jewish organization involved in this matter clarified that if necessary, he would not hesitate to again exert pressure to ensure the resolution is not passed and the Turks remain satisfied. The same activist said he had received numerous requests in the past to work against the Armenian cause in Congress. "The State Department asked us, other people in the administration did, even the Turkish Jewish community asked us to act on this issue," he said. The prevailing opinion among the large Jewish organizations is that "Turkey's relations with the United States and Israel are too important for us to deal with this subject," according to one community activist who was involved in blocking Resolution 193 last year. The more expansive explanation, offered in meetings and discussions, is that "the Armenian genocide is a matter for historians, not for legislators."

The Jewish community's involvement in the issue of the Armenian genocide is affected by the status of Israel-Turkey relations. One senior organizational official related that during the honeymoon years of Turkish-Israeli ties, the Jewish organizations were more enthusiastic about openly helping Turkey thwart previous Armenian-related resolutions in Congress.

Armenian lobbyists are facing a lost cause
Nathan Guttman – Haaretz International
August 12, 2004

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