Ed. Note: Because of the Corona pandemic, many of the activities of the Institute on the Holocaust and Genocide Jerusalem were necessarily postponed.  We particularly regret that our website did not join in a more timely fashion in reporting the wonderful, history-making news of recognition of the Armenian Genocide – and so overwhelmingly – by both Houses of the US Congress.  Congratulations!

For the first time since the Genocide of 1915, the US Senate adopted a Resolution unanimously on December 12, 2019, recognizing the Armenian Genocide, after it was blocked for three consecutive weeks by different Republican Senators at the request of the White House.

This resolution follows on the overwhelming vote of 405 to 11 earlier by the House of Representatives on October 29, 2019 to recognize the Genocide.

There is no question that this recognition by both House of Congress is a salutary historical development, and in a sense, can be defined as United States recognition of the Armenian Genocide. However, at the same time, the political realities do not really justify that conclusion since what is still missing is a presidential signature on a joint resolution by the two Houses of Congress, and there is little to no expectation that President Donald Trump will take such a step.

From the point of view that these two votes of the two congressional houses do qualify as U.S. recognition, the California Courier writes:

“The vote brings to 32 the number of countries who recognize the mass killings of Armenians as genocide. France and Italy joined the list earlier this year.  In Britain, the three devolved legislatures of Scotland, Wales and North Ireland have given formal recognition, but not the UK as a whole.”

The resolution in the Senate was introduced by Senators Bob Menendez of New Jersey and Ted Cruz of Texas.  It is the first time the Senate has recognized the Armenian Genocide – the House of Representatives had recognized the genocide in earlier years as well.

The Executive Director of the Armenian National Committee (ANC), Aram Hamparian, reacted to the Senate vote: “Unanimous Senate action shines the spotlight on the President who continues – against all reason – to enforce Erdogan’s veto against honest American remembrance of Turkey’s extermination and exile of millions of Christians.  It is time for the Executive Branch to join Congress in ending any and all American complicity in Ankara’s lies…and together with Congress should work… towards the international reparations and other remedies required of this crime.”

Sources: BBC News. (October 30, 2019). US House says Armenian mass killing was genocide. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-50229787

Sassounian, Harut (December 18, 2019).  Senate Recognition of Armenian Genocide: Reactions and Next Steps to be Taken. California Courier. http://www.thecaliforniacourier.com/senate-recognition-of-armenian-genocide-reactions-and-next-steps-to-be-taken/

_________

Harut Sassounian, publisher of the California Courier, wrote in an editorial on December 26, 2019: “Pres. Trump is not worthy of recognizing the Armenian Genocide”:

Both Houses of Congress, one overwhelmingly and the other unanimously, adopted two Resolutions, in recent weeks recognizing the Armenian Genocide, many were hoping that this were lead President Trump to also recognize it in his upcoming April 24, 2020 statement, even though he is not obligated to do so.  After all, a total of 505 members of both Houses of Congress had supported both Resolutions with 11 opposing them, which placed over 94% of the US Congress in favor.

However, Trump disappointed the vast majority of the world, except the Turkish and Azerbaijani denialists by having the State Department spokeswoman… announce last week that: ‘The position of the Administration has not changed.  Our views are reflected in the president’s definitive statement on this issue from last April.’  The State Department’s announcement snubbing two Resolutions was made after Turkish President Recep. Tayyip Erdogan threatened to expel US troops to air bases in Turkey and to ask the Turkish Parliament to adopt a Resolution recognizing the killing of Native Americans as genocide.”

Source: Sassounian, Harut (December 26, 2019). Pres. Trump is not worthy of recognizing the Armenian Genocide. California Courier. http://www.thecaliforniacourier.com/pres-trump-is-not-worthy-of-recognizing-the-armenian-genocide/

__________

Juliegrace Brufke wrote in The Hill the following interpretation of the recognition of the Genocide by the House of Representatives:

The House passed a resolution officially recognizing and rebuking the Ottoman Empire’s genocide against the Armenian people and rejecting any efforts to enlist the U.S. government in denying that the genocide took place.

The bill emphasizes the position of the House that U.S. policy will “(1) commemorate the Armenian Genocide through official recognition and remembrance; (2) reject efforts to enlist, engage, or otherwise associate the United States Government with denial of the Armenian Genocide or any other genocide; and (3) encourage education and public understanding of the facts of the Armenian Genocide, including the United States role in the humanitarian relief effort, and the relevance of the Armenian Genocide to modern-day crimes against humanity.”

Brufke, Juliegrace  (October 29, 2019). House votes to recognize Armenian genocide. The Hill. https://thehill.com/homenews/house/467975-house-votes-to-recognize-armenian-genocide