Knesset vote on Armenian genocide nixed over government opposition

A Knesset vote scheduled for Tuesday on recognizing the World War I killings of Armenians as genocide has been canceled because of government opposition, the lawmaker behind the initiative says.

Last month the Knesset had approved a motion penned by Tamar Zandberg of the left-wing opposition Meretz party to hold a plenary debate and vote on “recognizing the Armenian genocide.”

Turkey had expressed its opposition and in order to to try to ensure the support of the governing coalition for her motion, Zandberg agreed to postpone the vote until after Sunday’s Turkish elections.

On Monday, it became clear that the coalition was still opposed to Zandberg’s initiative, even after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s reelection.

“Despite the promises and delays and despite the Turkish elections being behind us, the government and coalition are refusing to recognize the Armenian genocide,” Zandberg says on Twitter. “I am therefore forced to cancel the vote.”