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May 24, 2012

Jeff Jacoby: The peace process battered Israel's reputation
Clifford D. May: What Iran's Rulers Want
Michael Muskal: 'Pro-choice' position hits record low, according to poll
Chris Farrell: Are We in a Tech Bubble?
Kimberly Lankford: Switching Medicare Advantage Plans Mid-Year
Bryan McIver, M.B., Ch.B., Ph.D.: Mayo Clinic Medical Edge: Understanding hyperthyroidism and its variety of treatment options
The Kosher Gourmet by Penelope Wall: PHILLY CHEESE STEAKS --- hold the steak!
May 23, 2012
Ex-CIA spy in Iran's Revolutionary Guard: Baghdad talks highlight Western naivete
Tony Pugh: More private colleges offering tuition discounts
Lisa Gerstner: 4 Money-Etiquette Questions Answered
Mary Beth Franklin: How to Choose the Right Annuity for You
Art Markman, Ph.D.: Get smart: How to bulk up your creativity muscles
Tina Susman: The wig wasn't enough: Man gets 13 years for posing as his dead mom
The Kosher Gourmet by Emma Christensen:A simple way to do fish right
May 22, 2012
David S. Cloud and Kathleen Hennessey: Obama changes mind on Pakistan invite to NATO summit --- and then gets dissed by country's president
Warren Richey: Can US group challenge overseas surveillance act? Supreme Court to decide
Thomas M. Anderson: Walking Away From a Mortgage
Environmental Nutrition editors: The lowdown on a low-acid diet
The Kosher Gourmet by Megan Gordon: Enjoy a celebration of the most rich and layered flavors: Black bean, sweet potato and quinoa chili
May 21, 2012
Mark Clayton: Cybersecurity: How US utilities passed up chance to protect their networks
Howard LaFranchi: NATO summit: Who will foot the bill for long-term Afghanistan security?
Chris Farrell : Earn Dividends in Emerging Markets with This WisdomTree ETF
James K. Glassman: 5 Stock Picks Among Online Retailers
Stephen Whiteside, Ph.D. : Mayo Clinic Medical Edge: Social anxiety disorder --- or just shy?
Guy Jackson : Victim's father regrets death of Lockerbie bomber
The Kosher Gourmet by Mario Batali: Famed chef's veal shoulder farsumagru: A festive meat course for late spring
May 18, 2012
Rabbi Berel Wein: Striving: The People of the Book's Book for (All of) the People
Caroline B. Glick: Embracing dangerous delusions and not our friends
Steven Goldberg: 5 Great Stock Picks and the Exchange-Traded Fund that Owns Them
Janet Bodnar: How to Teach Kids to Handle Credit Cards
Mary Pickett, M.D.: Ask the Harvard Experts: Don't be forced into gluten-free lifestyle based merely on a doctor's false-positive test
The Kosher Gourmet by Carolyn Malcoun: DIY healthy lunchbox treats: HOMEMADE FRUIT BARS for kids and brown-bagging adults alike
May 17, 2012
Warren Richey: Teacher fired for being unwed and pregnant can sue religious school, court rules
Josh Mitnick: Netanyahu's 'centrist' coalition is already proving it's anything but
Steven Goldberg: Earn Dividends in Emerging Markets with This WisdomTree ETF
Mary Beth Franklin: Retirement Savings Tips for New Grads
Amina Khan: Research links coffee to lower death rates
Chelsea Sheasley: Social media: Is it too feminine?
The Kosher Gourmet by Faith Duran : Cheesy Potato Breakfast Casserole with Cheddar and Sun-Dried Tomatoes
May 16, 2012
Jackson Holahan: The Aleppo Codex
Jonathan Tobin : Iran Declares Victory in Nuclear Talks
Anne Kates Smith: 7 Stocks That Let You Sleep Tight
Carmen Terzic, M.D., Ph.D. : Mayo Clinic Medical Edge: A variety of exercises can help improve balance
Melissa Healy: National strategy on Alzheimer's disease aims to halt it by 2025
The Kosher Gourmet by Joyce White : GOODNESS GRACIOUS: GREENS! 4 winning recipes that are no longer just for down-home folks (Includes expert tips & techniques)
May 15, 2012
Dennis Prager: God and Man at (and for) Liberty
Kristen Chick: Obama administration resumes arms sales to Bahrain despite serious unresolved human rights issues. Activists feel abandoned
Pat Mertz Esswein: Homes are now affordable again and mortgage rates are low. What you need to know before you buy
Kathy Kristof: Our Practical Investor Fights Inflation with These 6 Investments
Sue Hubbard, M.D.: The Kid's Doctor: Lactose intolerant young child? Check again
Environmental Nutrition Editors: Get the facts on palm sugar sweetening
The Kosher Gourmet by Kathy Hunt: Spread a Little Excitement with EXOTIC CONDIMENTS (4 RECIPES)
May 14, 2012
Richard Simon: Purple Hearts for domestic terror victims?
Nando Pelusi, Ph.D.: The privacy paradox: Surrounded by strangers, we risk isolation, anxiety
Chris Farrell: Investing Lessons from the Great Recession
Lisa Gerstner: How to Protect Your Identity, Finances If You Lose Your Phone
Harvard Health Letters: Heart disease and dementia
Tiffany O'Callaghan: New hormone mimics effects of exercise without the sweat
The Kosher Gourmet by Megan Gordon: MANGO COCONUT OAT MORNING MUFFINS are a bright but hearty delight
May 11, 2012
Rabbi B. Shafier: Why happiness will always be elusive
Charles Krauthammer: Echoes of '67: Israel unites
Howard LaFranchi: With G8 snub, US-Putin 'reset' off to stumbling start
Jeremy J. Siegel: Investors, Relax About Rising Interest Rates
Jessica L. Anderson: Get the Best Deal on a Used Car
Jett Stone: Forget face-lifts and fake knees. Scientists have seen the fountain of youth --- and it's broccoli
The Kosher Gourmet by Chef Mario Batali: The famed chef's vegetable dish that tastes true to the season: FAVAS AND SUGAR SNAP PEAS WITH POTATOES AND TARRAGON
May 10, 2012
Clifford D. May: The Real Palestinian Refugee Problem
Sergei L. Loiko: Putin sends warning to U.S., NATO in Victory Day speech at Red Square
Mary Rourke: How being a 'mentch' got Vidal Sasoon his start and fighting in Israel's War of Independence provided him with confidence and a strong sense of his own identity
Harvard Health Letters: Palliative care: Underused therapy yields surprising benefits
Jeff Bertolucci: Get Home Phone Service for Less Than $10 a Month
Rachel L. Sheedy and Susan B. Garland : Make the Right Moves to Boost Benefits
The Kosher Gourmet by Betty Rosbottom: Gleaming with its golden, crimson, and snowy white hues, this silken smooth and creamy STRAWBERRY ORANGE TRIFLE looks impressive, but is easy to prepare
May 9, 2012
John Rosemond: Parents, stop destroying the American male
Valerie J. Nelson: Maurice Sendak, author of 'Where the Wild Things Are,' dies at 83
Bob Frick: Angst Over Annuities
Sharon Palmer, R.D. How you can reduce your risk -- or delay -- chronic diseases associated with aging
Howard LeWine, M.D.: Ask the Harvard Experts: Why did my blood pressure suddenly shoot up?
Lisa Gerstner: Lower the Rate on All Your Loans
The Kosher Gourmet by Emily Ho : Springtime soba with miso sauce offers a coloful mix of fresh textures and flavors
May 8, 2012
Edmund Sanders: Netanyahu suddenly cancels new elections, forms unity government
Frank J. Gaffney Jr.: Farewell to European superstate
Anne Kates Smith: 4 Stocks That Mimic Buffett and Berkshire Hathaway
Gaia Vince and Clare Wilson The Rise of Miniature Medical Robots: Fantasy Fast Becoming Reality
Paul Takahashi, M.D.: Mayo Clinic Medical Edge: Never suffer night leg cramps
Jessica L. Anderson: Extended-Warranty Warning
The Kosher Gourmet by Diane Rossen Worthington: Celebrate National Chocolate Chip Day with the Best Cookie Ever (Includes techniques)
May 7, 2012
Mark Clayton: Homeland Security warns major cyber attack aimed at gas pipeline industry underway
Angus Roxburgh: Putin Decoded: World view of a Russian feeling dissed
Kimberly Lankford: Navigate a Course for Long-Term Care
Kevin McCormally How to Adjust Your Tax Withholding
Celeste Robb-Nicholson, M.D.: Harvard Health Letters: How do you treat a Baker's cyst?
Joanne Capano: Healthy Snacks for Children: The Choices May Surprise You
The Kosher Gourmet by Penelope Wall: Classic Creamy Spinach Dip with a Fraction of the Calories and Fat
May 4, 2012
Rabbi Nathan Lopes Cardozo: Holy 'trivialities'
Jonathan Tobin: Bibi v. Barak will be no contest this time around
Steven Goldberg: Blue Chip Stocks On Sale Worldwide
Art Pine Slow Productivity Growth a Blessing --- For Now
Sue Hubbard, M.D. : The Kid's Doctor: Are Kids Too Wired?
Kerri-Ann Jennings, M.S., R.D: Foods that are good for your smile
Amy Paturel, M.S., M.P.H.: Eating Well: Foods that are good for your smile
The Kosher Gourmet by Betty Rosbottom: Strawberry rhubarb parfaits are elegant yet simple to assemble
May 3, 2012
Michael Freund: Who's Afraid of the Messiah?
Clifford D. May: The Foggiest War
Susan B. Garland: Insurance to Cover Old Old Age
Steven Goldberg 6 Reasons to Bet on a Big Bull Market
Harvard Health Letters: Treating prostate cancer --- no rush to judgment
Larry Gordon: Harvard, MIT partner to offer free online courses
Naomi Nix : Man gets free trip to Chicago after postcard sent by mother in 1957 finally reaches him
The Kosher Gourmet by Diane Rossen Worthington: Intensely Italian vegetable frittata is a seriously simple standby


Jewish World Review Oct. 16, 2007 / 4 Mar-Cheshvan 5768

Security before belief

By Ed Koch


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http://www.JewishWorldReview.com | When I was a child, I read "The Forty Days at Musa Dagh" by Franz Werfel, a fictionalized account of actual events, which told the story of how the Turks persecuted and killed Armenians in 1915. From that time on, I was on the side of the Armenians and against the Turks.


This was back in the days before the word "genocide" had entered our vocabulary. To this day, I still believe the Turks killed 1.5 million Armenians because of tribalism and their hatred of Christians. In 1915, during World War I, the Ottoman Empire was on the side of the German Empire, then led by Kaiser Wilhelm II. At its high point, the Ottoman Empire stretched from Greece to Egypt and everything in between, including Syria, Iraq, Jordan, Palestine, Saudi Arabia and the coastal strip of North Africa


When I was in Congress from 1969 through 1977, I joined with Ben Rosenthal (D-NY), who is now deceased, John Brademas (D-IN) and Paul Sarbanes (D-MD) as one of those supporting the Rosenthal amendment which called on Congress to cut off military aid to Turkey unless it removed its invading army from Cyprus. A coup in Cyprus had endangered the Turkish minority on that island and precipitated the Turkish invasion and the establishment of a Turkish controlled area in the north of the island.


Let me digress for a moment and relate a short anecdote which appears in my book, "Politics." "When the Rosenthal amendment was ratified by the House, Rosenthal, Brademas, Sarbanes and me were invited by the Greek Patriarch of North and South America, Archbishop Iakovos, now deceased, to his birthday party held in Manhattan and attended by more than a thousand guests at which Paul Sarbanes and John Brademas were to be honored. Well, the star was Rosenthal. When he came in, the place erupted. You had a thousand Greeks in there. It would be like a thousand Jews on something involving Israel of momentous importance to them. The Rosenthal Amendment had carried at that point, and I've never seen such a response for the size of the group. It was wonderful. And Rosenthal made one of the best speeches I've ever heard. It was a very short one. He said, 'I was wondering what I would say here tonight, and I thought I'd tell you a story. You're probably not going to appreciate it in the way that it's meant, but I'm going to tell you anyway.' He said, 'I had lunch with my mother, who lives in New York, today; and she asked me what I was doing tonight, so I said, 'I'm going to a dinner, Mama, that will honor two of my friends in Congress, John Brademas and Paul Sarbanes. And, you know, Mama, they're probably the two smartest men in Congress.' My mother said, 'Are they Jewish?' and I said, 'No, Mama, they're not Jewish - they're Greek.' My mother said, 'Are you sure they're not Jewish?' I thought a moment and then I said to my mother, 'Mama, I think they're half Jewish' And then he said to this crowd, holding out his hands, 'Tonight I'm half Greek.' And the place erupted in cheers and applause. I think it's the best story I've ever heard for an audience of that kind. It was wonderful, just wonderful."


Now back to the present. Last week, the House Foreign Affairs Committee led by Chairman Tom Lantos, voted 27-21 to denounce the slaughter of the Armenians in 1915 as an act of genocide by the Turks. The Turks have always taken the position that the killing of Armenians on their eastern border - their border with Russia, then on the side of the allies in World War I - occurred because, they alleged, the Armenians sided with the Russians, thereby committing treason against the country in which they lived, the Ottoman Empire. In support of their defense against committing an act of genocide, they point to the fact that Armenians living in Constantinople, then capital of the Ottoman Empire, were not killed.


The Turks now in a newly created country - formed in 1917 — led by Mustafa Kemal Ataturk who secularized a then theocratic Islamic remnant of the Ottoman Empire, wanting to establish a new Turkey that included all minorities to be equally treated in a democratic state, made it illegal to disparage the new state.


The Turkish government, enraged at the action of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, has threatened retaliation if the Congress, both House and Senate, passes a final resolution. The retaliation threatened is to close the port in Turkey which permits the entry of 30 percent of all U.S. fuel used for military vehicles in Iraq and the closure of the Turkish airport through which a large part of U.S. military supplies are airlifted for use in Iraq.


On my Bloomberg radio program, I gave my position on the issue and entered into a dialogue with a young man who identified himself as Armenian. I said that while I still believed what the Turks did in 1915 was an act of genocide, I would not have voted for the resolution, because it endangers the security of American troops and simply provides the Armenians with a political victory and nothing else. Therefore, it is not worth the danger the Congressional action will cause to American troops. While we did not get into it in this discussion, I have on other occasions stated my support for using American troops to defend the people of Darfur in the Sudan from suffering genocide which is occurring today. I also mentioned on the program that during my tenure as a Congressman, I did not sufficiently appreciate how valued an American ally the Turks had become.


I regretted my failure to appreciate their positive role as our ally, particularly at a time when Greece was hostile to both the U.S. and Israel, while Turkey was friendly and supportive to both the U.S. and Israel.


My listener was surprised, he said, at my position on the resolution. I replied that the paramount duty of all Americans is to safeguard the wellbeing of American troops in Iraq. That comes before all other considerations in my judgment. He responded that he did not believe they would be endangered.


I disagree and don't think we should chance it.

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