New York, NY, October 28, 2019 … 

ADL (the Anti-Defamation League) today endorsed a bipartisan House resolution that recognizes the Armenian Genocide and urges Members of Congress to ensure its passage. 

H. Res. 296, which states that the U.S. officially recognizes the Armenian Genocide and encourages education and public understanding on the issue, will likely be voted on by the House this week. ADL also endorses and encourages action on S. Res. 150, the resolution’s identical bipartisan companion measure in the Senate.

The genocide, which saw some 1.5 million Armenians killed by the Ottoman Empire during the first World War, began with the ruling government arresting and executing several hundred Armenian intellectuals. After that, Armenian families were removed from their homes and sent on death marches. The Armenian people were subjected to deportation, expropriation, abduction, torture, massacre and starvation.

“This historic Congressional resolution, while long overdue, is an important step toward raising awareness and educating the American public about the horrific genocide committed by the Ottoman Empire against Armenians during the early part of the 1900s,” said Jonathan Greenblatt, ADL CEO. “The 20th century saw the worst episodes of genocide in recorded human history, beginning with the Armenian Genocide, through the Holocaust and all the way to the atrocities in Bosnia and Rwanda. Indeed, historians note that Hitler viewed the Armenian Genocide and the world’s indifference toward it as inspiration to launch his own genocidal campaign across Europe. We believe that remembering and educating about any genocide – Armenian, the Holocaust, Bosnia, Rwanda, and others – is a necessary tool to prevent future tragedies and begins with recognition.

“We hope that this resolution will facilitate a constructive dialogue, and we encourage the Turkish government to introduce additional safeguards for protecting Turkey’s Armenian citizens and other religious minorities. ADL’s founding mission of securing justice and fair treatment not only for Jews but for all people requires us to speak out on behalf of other vulnerable groups, and this is why ADL launched a Task Force on Middle East Minorities this past year.”