Israeli Knesset’s Speaker Reuven Rivlin plans to hold annual hearings dedicated to the 1915 Armenian Genocide in Ottoman Empire.

“My duty as a Jew and an Israeli, is to recognize the tragedy of other peoples, political views can not allow us to deny sufferings experienced by other nations,” jewish.ru website quotes Rivlin.

On May 18 Committee on Education, Culture and Sports of the Israeli Knesset accepted the demand to discuss the Armenian Genocide recognition in the parliament.

However, Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon said there is no chance that Israel will recognize the Armenian Genocide, it is impossible. “We can not afford damaging relations with our main strategic partner Azerbaijan because of some controversial historical issues relating to the events which happened a century ago,” he added.

Knesset’s education committee is headed by Alex Miller, member of Israel is Our Home parliamentary group and Ayalon’s party fellow.

Members of this parliamentary group are traditional supporters of partnership with Azerbaijan.