France Can Afford that Which Israel Cannot: Knesset Committee Chair

Alex Miller, head of Israel’s Knesset Committee on Education, Culture and Sports, has suggested not to imitate the French, who have entered into a confrontation with the Turks for political reasons. Recall, this committee today is planning to discuss a proposal to mark April 24 as a memorial day for “the massacre of the Armenian people.”

“The meeting will be attended by supporters of the Armenian Genocide, including Knesset Speaker Reuven Rivlin and parliamentary coalition chair Zeev Elkin. Many point a finger at Paris, saying that the French were not afraid to get into a confrontation with Turkey. However, it’s important to understand that every country has its own statutes, its own priorities. France can afford that which Israel cannot, but they have more reasons for recognizing this genocide,” he said, reports IzRus, explaining that he was referring to the 600,000–strong Armenian community in France, who enthusiastically accepted the parliament’s decision to criminalize genocide denial.

The head of the parliamentary committee added that he wouldn’t advise Israeli deputies to copy their French colleagues’ actions. “I repeat, we mustn’t make an academic and historical debate into a political mess. We need to learn history, so that tragedies are not repeated — not ruin relations with our allies over controversial issues.”