[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 152 (Friday, December 12, 2014)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1843-E1844]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   ANTI-SEMITISM AND ETHNIC CLEANSING

                                  _____
                                 

                          HON. STEVE STOCKMAN

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                       Friday, December 12, 2014

  Mr. STOCKMAN. Mr. Speaker, I would like to discuss today an issue 
that continues to haunt ethnic and religious minorities throughout our 
world and in particular, a rise in anti-Semitism and ethnic cleansing 
in Armenia. Mr. Speaker, in other words, Armenia, throughout its 
history continues to practice anti-Semitism and ethnic cleansing of the 
Azerbaijani minority. Mr. Speaker, I would like to submit an article 
written by Arye Gut, a board member of the Israeli-Azerbaijani 
International Organization entitled ``Anti-Semitism in Armenia: A Clear 
and Present Danger''. Mr. Gut clearly articulates the issues of anti-
Semitism and ethnic cleansing in Armenia.

          Anti-Semitism in Armenia: A Clear and Present Danger

                         (By Arye Gut/JNS.org)

       The conflict in Syria has forced millions to leave their 
     homes, among them many of the country's Armenian minority. 
     Many have fled and returned to Armenia, a safe haven for 
     ethnic Armenians--much as Israel is for Jews around the 
     world. So it is ironic, given this shared need for a homeland 
     free of religious intolerance, that Armenia's own Jewish 
     community has been pressured and intimidated since the 
     country attained independence.
       Anti-Semitism in Armenia is an unfortunate and little-
     acknowledged fact. Since the fall of the Soviet Union, the 
     country's Jewish minority and Jewish heritage--the products 
     of a more tolerant time--have shrunk dramatically. The end of 
     Soviet rule removed constraint, and anti-Semitic attacks rose 
     dramatically. That, and Armenia's ongoing economic collapse, 
     drive the Jews of Armenia to flee the country. In just 20 
     years, Armenian Jewish population has shrunk from more than 
     5,000 to just a few hundred.
       And the cultural violence has continued. Anti-Semitic books 
     are published and TV programs aired, and the Holocaust 
     memorial in the capital of Yerevan has been repeatedly 
     defaced. Of course, many countries have suffered such 
     unfortunate incidents, the product of an ignorant populace. 
     But in Armenia such views have been espoused even by 
     mainstream politicians and media personalities. In 2004, a 
     pro-government radio presenter expressed anti-Semitic views 
     for months on end. A nationalist politician was also allowed 
     to freely make lurid slurs against Jews before public 
     pressure forced the government to arrest him.
       The dwindling Jewish community in Armenia has complained 
     about these attacks--the head of the Jewish community 
     expressed her concern that ``this [anti-Semitism] has the 
     backing of people in power.'' But appeals have fallen on deaf 
     ears, which is hardly a surprise when such attitudes are 
     shared by much of Armenian society. The Anti-Defamation 
     League's latest survey in June 2014 showed that the rate of 
     anti-Semitism in Armenia (at 58 percent) was the third-
     highest in all of Europe, and the highest in all of the 
     former Soviet Union and Eastern Europe. Thus, around 1.3 
     million out of 2.2 million adults in Armenia expressed anti-
     Semitic attitudes. Armenia's closest comparisons were with 
     virulently hostile countries in the Middle East.
       Sixty-three percent of Armenians surveyed believe that Jews 
     are hated ``because of the way Jews behave;'' 60 percent 
     claimed that ``Jews don't care what happens to anyone but 
     their own kind;'' 45 percent think that ``Jews still talk too 
     much about what happened to them in the Holocaust;'' and 38 
     percent consider that ``Jews are responsible for most of the 
     world's wars.''
       Also disturbing, and of concern to Jews around the world, 
     is that in 1988 some 49,928 families (250,000 Azerbaijanis) 
     were forced to flee their places of origin in 172 Azerbaijani 
     inhabited villages, 89 villages with mixed ethnic population, 
     and six cities from Armenia. During the deportation, 226 
     Azerbaijanis were killed by Armenians and scores horrifically 
     injured. Their houses and properties were burned as well.
       The Khojaly massacre, committed by current Armenian 
     leadership with incredible brutality, was one of the worst 
     tragedies of the 20th century. It is a historical fact that 
     the Armenian armed forces and gunmen spared none of the 
     Khojaly residents, who had not managed to leave the city and 
     its surroundings. As a result of the atrocities of the 
     Armenian armed forces, 613 people were killed, 487 people 
     were crippled, and 1,275 people--the elderly, children, and 
     women who were captured--were subjected to unprecedented 
     torture, abuse, and humiliation.
       In addition, Armenia, the aggressor, illegally occupied 20 
     percent of Azerbaijan, including Nagorno-Karabakh and seven 
     adjacent districts. This caused a refugee crisis numbering 
     nearly 1 million innocent Azerbaijanis, as they attempted to 
     ethnically cleanse the region. Today, this remains a threat 
     to peace and security in the South Caucasus region. 
     Encouraged by intense Armenian lobbying efforts in the U.S. 
     and other key nations, as well as by strong and ongoing 
     Russian military, economic, and political aid, Armenia has 
     ignored four United Nations Security Council resolutions 
     associated with the occupation of Azerbaijani lands and 
     treatment of civilians.
       Perhaps this is not so surprising considering that one of 
     Armenia's closest allies is theocratic Iran, which has always 
     opposed Israel's right to existence. This strange 
     relationship has been very beneficial for Iran, which has 
     used Armenia as a conduit for smuggling and other illicit 
     activities, often with serious consequences for U.S. national 
     security.
       The last point also has unnerving overtones for Armenia's 
     Jewish community, which has never forgotten the participation 
     of the brutal 20,000-strong Armenian Legion as part of 
     Wehrmacht in the Second World War. The Legion, led by the 
     nationalist warlord known as General Dro, was tasked with 
     rounding up Jews and other ``undesirables'' behind the German 
     army as it swept across Russia, and organized their death 
     marches to the concentration camps.
       In such an environment, it is hardly surprising that most 
     of Armenia's Jewish population has either fled or 
     intermarried to

[[Page E1844]]

     avoid attracting attention. Regrettably, the government of 
     Armenia does almost nothing to curb the growing anti-Semitism 
     in the country. Until Armenia realizes that narrow-minded 
     nationalism and blaming the country's economic and political 
     problems on outsiders will never solve anything, the Jews of 
     Armenia will continue to suffer.

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