The people of Israel and the state of Israel are different sides

The leader of the Jews’ religious community Gershon Mare Burshtane is answering to the questions of “Ankakh”.

-How can you estimate the process of the Armenian-Turkish relationship?

-Every person or state can’t exist or develop out of the general system. Despite of wish there are some neighbours, negotiations and one must adapt them. This process can be accepted as an universal attempt for the establishment of negotiations.

-What do you mean by saying general system?

-I mean, the state will be unable to develop not paying attention to its neighbours. So the state influences on it more or less. It is said that both state and world must be accepted together with the whole system.

Moreover, there was a period of cold war when the idea of enemy always existed, when there were no relations between two different systems.

If the link between Armenia and Turkey goes on and if it’s mentioned that each kind of link gives independence, in the result of it the link will act.

-But it must be mentioned, that the cold war and the problem of the Genocide differ greatly. In that case there was not a problem of Genocide.

-It’s true. There was no Genocide but it mustn’t be forgotten that Armenia and Turkey had one history before 1915, and it’s necessary not to establish negotiations on the basis of it. This point has been suggested just for people in order to understand and to get acquainted with each other. It means not to forget the past but try not to establish negotiations on the basis of pain. We can compare it with the history of Germany. In fact the history of Germany existed before Hitler, during the period of Hitler and after Hitler. And if we take only Hitler’s Germany , we can’t have right opinion.

-But the difference is the fact that Germany recognized Holocost.

-It’s really true. But Germany hadn’t stopped the process of destroy the Jews when it was happening. Germany accepted its guilt after losing the war. I am sure in case of winning it won’t do that. It happened under the pressure of the world.

The Armenian-Turkish relationship is explained as an unrespectable attitude towards the memorial of the Genocide. I don’t agree with it, because to forget about it means to show unrespectable attitude as well. We know that time is very cruel. However the pain is strong, it weakens during the time. Of course, the pain was stronger for the generation passed through the Genocide than for the following generation.

-Why don’t Israel recognize the Armenian Genocide? Isn’t it logical that a country passed through the same past must have recognized it?

-First of all, we must differentiate the types of advantages: ethical, political and economical. In my opinion the ethical interests must be the first for a person. Otherwise in case of the policy dictates the economical advantage exists the status for politics- “There are no friends forever, there are advantages forever”. And related to it not always politics express the opinion of their nation.

I think that Israel must recognize the Armenian Genocide. In 2000, when being in Israel, during the meeting with the president Moshe Kacavi I announced that I will be proud of Israel, as my historical native country, if it recognizes the Genocide. Ecker shared my point of view during the meeting with the Catholicos in 2006.

I know many Jews living in Europe, France, Israel, which try to influence on the recognition of the Genocide.

-But the opinion of the Jews’ Lobby, which has great power in the USA and interferes the recognition of the Genocide, differs.

-Has that been the official announcement of Jews’ community? First of all America is a great state, the influence of Jews’ community on the opinion of America, is so much, as they form the per cent of the population of that country. What does the Jews’ Lobby means? The same Jews’ Lobby favoured the recognition of the Genocide by France. According to the extended opinion the world is in a danger because of the Jews, the crisis was because of the Jews and everything happenes because of them.

-Now the problem of the Armenian Genocide is discussing in Kneset. Don’t you think it being the result of the pressure between Turkey and Israel.

-I am sure that the discussion of the Genocide in Kneset is not related to the pressure between Turkey and Israel. It will be connected with the fact, that in 1991, when the Jews’ community established in Armenia, we went to Tcitcernakaberd, or the establishment of the monument of the Armenian-Jews’ Genocide.

And it’s not the first time, when Turkey criticizes Israel for the actions over Gazah. I can bring many examples, e.g. in 2003 during the period of semi-president Sharon, when Turkey had such reports, Israel said that Turkey can’t be the third state making Israel follow its opinion about the Gazah. And at last it can’t be of great importance for Israel, being surrounded by many Arabian enemy countries.