[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 65 (Thursday, May 6, 1999)]
[House]
[Pages H2900-H2901]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 30TH ANNIVERSARY OF ARMENIAN STUDIES PROGRAM AT HEBREW UNIVERSITY IN 
                               JERUSALEM

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Pallone) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, on Tuesday, May 4, at the Embassy of the 
Republic of Armenia here in Washington, D.C., an important milestone 
was celebrated, the 30th anniversary of the Armenian Studies Program at 
the Hebrew University in Jerusalem.
  I believe this event is important not only because of the celebration 
of three decades of one of the world's finest programs for the study of 
Armenian language, literature, art and history, although this is of 
course extremely important in its own right. What distinguishes this 
week's celebration and the entire mission of the Armenian Studies 
Program at Hebrew University is the cooperation it represents between 
the Armenian and the Jewish peoples. This cooperation was in evidence 
as distinguished representatives from both the Armenian-American and 
Jewish-American communities were present at the Embassy.
  Mr. Speaker, the Armenian and Jewish peoples have much in common. 
They are two of the most ancient and enduring nations, with histories 
and traditions that are measured not in centuries but in millennia. 
Sadly, these two peoples of great cultural achievement have also been 
singled out for unthinkable suffering, particularly in this century.
  Last month, Members of this House paid tribute to the victims and 
survivors of the Armenian genocide in which 1.5 million Armenians died 
at the hands of the Ottoman Turkish Empire during the years 1915 to 
1923. At that time there did not exist a word to properly convey the 
enormous horror of an entire people being singled out for mass murder, 
for racial or ethnic elimination.
  It was not until the Nazi Holocaust, in which six million Jews were 
killed for no other reason than for who they were, that a term was 
devised to describe this mass atrocity: Genocide. In fact, when Hitler 
was planning his so-called ``final solution'' against the Jewish 
people, he said to his associates, ``Who today remembers the 
extermination of the Armenians?"
  Yet today, Mr. Speaker, the Armenian and Jewish people have overcome 
the horrors of the past, not forgotten, of course, but overcome. The 
Republic of Armenia is an emerging democracy that has worked to 
establish the institutions of a civil society at home while maintaining 
its national security despite being surrounded by hostile neighbors. 
The State of Israel has succeeded at these same daunting tasks, 
fostering a thriving democracy while remaining secure against hostile 
neighbors for half a century.
  In Israel's capital of Jerusalem, in the southwestern part of the Old 
City, surrounding the Citadel of King David, is the Armenian Quarter. 
The staunchly Christian Armenian people, the first to embrace 
Christianity as their national religion, have maintained their presence 
in that area since early times. The Armenian St. James Cathedral is one 
of the most impressive churches in the Old City. The Armenian Museum is 
a graceful cloister housing a fascinating collection of manuscripts and 
artifacts.
  Armenian Orthodox Patriarchate Road and Ararat Street, named for the 
mountain in full view from Armenia's capital of Yerevan, where Noah's 
Ark is believed to have come to rest, are two of the area's main 
thoroughfares. Jerusalem's approximately 2,000 Armenians live in a 
tightly-knit community

[[Page H2901]]

known for their sophistication, dedication to their faith and their 
nation, and hospitality to visitors.
  During the Armenian genocide, hundreds of thousands of Armenians were 
forced by the Ottoman Turks into the deserts of the Middle East. In the 
midst of their suffering, some Armenians were taken in and given 
protection by many people in the Middle East, and Armenian communities 
still exist in that part of the world.
  Israel and Armenia continue to work on expanding and improving their 
bilateral relations. While there have admittedly been some differences, 
Armenian Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian visited Israel late last 
year, at which time the governments of both countries emphasized their 
commitment to increased cooperation.
  But, Mr. Speaker, while government-to-government initiatives 
continue, some of the most important advances come from the person-to-
person relationships. Tuesday night's event at the Armenian Embassy is 
a testimony to that effort.
  I want to pay particular tribute to two individuals who have done so 
much to further these important contacts, Annie Totah and Aris 
Mardirossian, the co-chairs of the 30th Anniversary Celebration. I also 
salute all of the Armenian and American Friends of the Hebrew 
University and all of the leaders in the Armenian and Jewish 
communities who have worked so hard for this very worthy cause.
  Tuesday's reception will be followed by several noteworthy events in 
Jerusalem, including the International Conference on the Armenians in 
Jerusalem on May 24 through 26, a symposium for the Israeli public on 
June 6, and a symposium on the Armenian Pilgrimage to the Holy Land 
with guest of honor His Beatitude Mesrop II, Armenian Patriarch of 
Constantinople, and an alumnus of the Armenian Studies Program.
  Finally, Mr. Speaker, I want to express my appreciation to one of the 
leading figures in the media, ABC news anchor Peter Jennings. On last 
Friday's broadcast, Mr. Jennings presented as part of his series on the 
century a poignant and powerful report on the Armenian genocide. In a 
century in which genocide has been a recurring horror, from the Nazis 
to Cambodia to Rwanda to the Balkans, it is important that all of us, 
in politics, in the media, in the field of education, and in other 
walks of life, be aware of what happened to the Armenian people 84 
years ago.

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