The Stubborn Myth of Jewish Involvement in the Armenian Genocide

On Nov. 30, Jewcy published an article titled “Are Armenians Angry at Jews?” in which I argued that although the Armenian community is upset that a prominent Jewish civil rights organization (ADL) supports Turkey’s campaign to the deny the Armenian Genocide, it is also aware of the Jewish-American writers, bloggers, and activists who speak out against ADL’s hypocrisy. Armenians know, I said, that throughout the 20^th century there was never a shortage of righteous Jews, individuals who spoke out against the Armenian genocide. I then proceeded to name three such righteous Jews: Henry Morgenthau, Franz Werfel (to whom I dedicated an entire article later), and Raphael Lemkin.

I received dozens of comments—made either to me in person or posted on Jewcy—immediately after the posting of the article. In one of the emails, a reader advised Jewcy to continue “kicking Foxman’s ass.”

I will not dwell on the positive remarks and the many emails, some from prominent academics, suggesting several other names of righteous Jews (about whom I might write in the future). I will, however, bring to the reader’s attention one point of view—from a fellow Armenian—that I thought was outrageous and, I believe, is shared by some other Armenians and non-Armenians.

“It is with great reluctance,” my fellow Armenian said, “that I wish to tell you that your article is oversimplified, very naïve and, at bottom, worthless. The Jewish involvement in Armenian Genocide is much complicated, intricate and perplexing.” He went on to cite historians who studied the “Zionist Jewish participation and their ominous role in Armenian Genocide.”

The author of the email also advised me to read a book by Christopher J. Bjerknes, who he'd cc'd, called The Jewish Genocide Of Armenian Christians. Bjerknes, he said, is “our really great Jewish friend,” who, he alleged, had the following to say about my article:

“Should Armenians grovel and lick Jewish boots, or should Jewry apologize to the Armenians, stop obstructing Genocide recognition and make reparations?”

Having written several articles on Jewcy about the bigotry and racism of some Jews and Turks regarding the Armenians and their suffering, I now feel obliged to address one of the conspiracy theories that has been passed from generation to generation—and shared by some Armenians—for a few decades at least. It goes something like this:

The plan to exterminate the Armenians in the Ottoman Empire was conceived and implemented by Jews, Zionists and Freemasons. You want proof? Several leaders of the Committee of Union and Progress (CUP)—that committed the genocide—were Jews converted to Islam (the Turkish term used to refer to them is Donme) and freemasons. Those who present these arguments, of course, set out several reasons that might have prompted the Jews to exterminate the Armenians, ranging from jealousy (for example, the Armenians were successful merchants, even more so than the Jews) to greater geo-political schemes sometimes involving the domination of the world. In some cases, this conspiracy theory is amalgamated with a similar theory prevalent among some Arabs that the Young Turk revolt of 1908 against the Ottoman Sultan Abdulhamid II was also a Jewish and Freemasonic conspiracy because the sultan was vehemently opposed the settling of Jews in Palestine, while the Young Turks were allegedly more inclined to implement the Zionist designs.

While no professional historian of the Armenian genocide has taken this conspiracy theory seriously, there has unfortunately been no separate academic analysis as well to expose its origins and the reasons of its persistence, making it possible for this theory to survive on the margins of Armenian life.

The truth is that Ottoman Empire was crumbling. The Turks were losing huge chunks of land in Europe, while Russia was threatening their empire from the East. Under these conditions, Anatolia, which hundreds of thousands of Armenians had called home for thousands of years, came to be regarded as the Turkish heartland—the vital space—that needed to be cleansed of Armenians. Turkey used the cover of World War I to annihilate the Armenians. It was the first major genocide of the 20^th century. Dozens of historians and genocide scholars have researched millions of archival documents and explained why and how the Armenian genocide happened.

All the documentation and research has not stopped Turkey to fund a multi-billion dollar campaign of genocide denial, it has not stopped states like the U.S., the United Kingdom and Israel, and organizations like the ADL, to support Turkey’s position of denial, and it may possibly not stop conspiracy theorists from finding “alternative” explanations to the why and how of the Armenian genocide.

But it is a shame when ordinary Armenians, Jews and Turks—out of ignorance, convenience or gain—buy into the lies of the Turkish state or anti-Semitic conspirators. This is where our role becomes important: informing the public, even though some might consider that “licking Jewish boots” or “kicking Foxman’s ass.”

NEXT: Check past Jewcy posts on the ADL/Armenian Genocide issue, or get ongoing coverage from our friends at No Place For Denial.