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World Jewish News
Jews of Armenia and Azerbaijan involve Israel in the Caucasian Showdown
20.04.2009
The head of the Jewish community of Armenia calls on the members of the Knesset: "Recognize the genocide of Armenians," and says about the Jewish leaders of Azerbaijan:
"They are forced to defend the position of Aliyev." The Jews of the South Caucasus draw Israel into a whirlpool of inter-communal strife and political confrontation.
"Be so kind and humane. We ask that you exercise prudence and adopt a resolution recognizing the genocide," addressed the deputies of the Knesset the Council of Jewish Community of Armenia, headed by Rima Varzhapetyan (Feller) on April 8.
The Council's statement expresses hope that the parliament of Israel recognizes the genocide of Armenians in the XX century, and helps the Muslims to absolve themselves of the burdens of the past crimes: "We are confident that the
majority of the Islamic world is civilized, peace-loving and conscientious people who are waiting to get rid of the past stigmas. You will help them with your honest decision."
Rimma Varzhapetyan gave an exclusive interview to the IzRus portal. She recalled that five years ago, the statement of the Israeli Ambassador to Georgia and Armenia Rivka Cohen caused a storm of protests among the Armenian public.
She had said that the Holocaust was a genocide, while the action against the Armenians in 1915 was just a tragedy. Varzhapetyan noted that nobody in Armenia "had blackmailed or forced" her to make an appeal to the deputies of the Knesset - it was on her own initiative. The head of the Council knows the MP Ze'ev Elkin and his colleague on the inter-Parliamentary group "Israel-Armenia" Aram Safaryan. The latter had appeared on the Armenian television, talking optimistically about the initiative of Israeli deputies Haim
Oron and Ze'ev Elkin to discuss the Armenian genocide in Knesset.
Rimma Varzhapetyan stated that the Jewish community in Armenia is constantly provoked by the Jewish leaders of Azerbaijan. In her opinion, the Azeri Jewish activists intervene in the issues of Karabakh conflict and always oppose Armenia. Thus, the Armenian Jews against their will start to "defend", which causes inter-Jewish strife and recriminations.
The IzRus portal asked whether the discussion of Armenian genocide by the Knesset will cause problems for the Jews of Azerbaijan. Rimma Varzhapetyan said the following: "Why do they identify themselves with Turkey? If Azerbaijanis prosecute the Jews because of this (the discussion in the Knesset - Sh.B.), then we will say that exactly Azerbaijanis are intolerant". According to
Varzhapetyan, Azerbaijani Jews are the puppets of the official Baku: "In Azerbaijan, Jews were forced to defend the position of Aliyev in all issues."
The appeal of the Council of the Jewish Community of Armenia to the deputies of Knesset is gradually drawing Israel into political showdown of South Caucasus, and Knesset is becoming a "battlefield" between the Armenian and Azeri lobby.
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