The ADL has worked to defeat Congressional resolutions affirming the Armenian Genocide for many years.
Mr. Foxman has repeatedly called the Armenian genocide resolution a “counterproductive diversion,” and has reassured the Turkish government on several occasions that the ADL will continue to work against U.S. recognition of the Armenian genocide.
On August 25, 2007, following a conversation with Mr. Foxman, Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan told 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."
In late August, Mr. Foxman told the Jewish Daily Forward: “We want to make sure the Turkish government understands that the use of the word ‘genocide’ doesn’t change our position on what Congress needs to do.”
Further, speaking to reporters in New York after meeting with the Turkish prime minister in late September, Mr. Foxman stated, “US Congressmen are not historians. Therefore, they cannot judge what happened in history.”
This position appears to be extremely hypocritical given the ADL’s support for numerous resolutions passed by the U.S. Congress on other genocides such as the Holocaust and the genocide in Darfur.
The ADL should begin to undo the damage its opposition to Armenian Genocide affirmation has done, not only to the Armenian-American community, but also to the pursuit of human rights in general, and specifically to genocide awareness and prevention.
The ADL must demonstrate good faith through clear and forthright support of U.S. recognition of the Armenian genocide, including Congressional affirmation.
Please refer to Appendix 5 and Appendix 6 for press clippings on the ADL’s active opposition to Armenian Genocide recognition.
