Wednesday, August 22, 2007

BREAKING NEWS - from www.anca.org AUG.22.2007

ADL RECOGNIZES ARMENIAN GENOCIDE; REMAINS OPPOSED TO ARMENIAN GENOCIDE LEGISLATION

WASHINGTON, DC – The Anti-Defamation League (ADL), under pressure from a national campaign of protests initiated by the Armenian National Committee of Eastern Massachusetts, backed nationally by the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA), and supported by leading voices in the Jewish American community, today reversed its longstanding policy of complicity in Turkey’s denial of the Armenian Genocide.
In a statement issued today, ADL National Director Abraham Foxman formally recognized the Armenian Genocide but – in what appeared to be a gesture intended to appease the Turkish government – voiced the organization’s continued opposition to legislation before Congress (H.Res.106 / S.Res.106) marking this crime against humanity.
“The ANCA welcomes the Anti-Defamation’s League’s decision to finally end its longstanding complicity in Turkey’s international denial campaign by properly recognizing the Armenian Genocide. We remain deeply troubled, however, that elements of its national leadership seek to prevent the United States from taking this very same principled step by adopting the Armenian Genocide Resolution currently before Congress,” said ANCA Executive Director Aram Hamparian. “Much work remains, both in bringing the ADL fully to the right side of this issue and on the broader challenge of achieving proper U.S. recognition of the Armenian Genocide. But we are, today, gratified by this step forward, and want to offer our thanks to all the many Armenians and Jews who cooperated together on this issue on the basis of our shared values of tolerance, truth and justice. We further urge the ADL leadership to review its unfair and unjustified decision to fire New England Regional Director Andrew Tarsy, who had the courage to speak truthfully on this key human rights issue.” Read More
ANCA Action: Call for Swift Congressional Passage of Armenian Genocide Legislation. Click here to send a Free ANCA WebFax.
ANCA Response to the August 21st American Jewish Committee Release: "Truth and Consequences: Armenians, Turks and Jews"
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.
Read the complete American Jewish Committee statement
Read the ANCA Response

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