“Ankara should accelerate its efforts to normalize ties with Israel before 2015, the centennial of the so-called Armenian genocide in 1915, as the global Israeli lobby has significantly toned down its previously staunch support of Turkey in blocking the recognition of claims of genocide.”

Zali De Toledo, head of the Association of Turkish Jews in Israel, stated the aforesaid.

“As 2015 is approaching, Turkey should take into account its interests and should normalize relations with Israel by appointing an ambassador to Israel as soon as possible. If both countries miss the opportunity to mend the ties, the Israeli lobby will likely stay neutral when 2015 comes,” De Toledo told Today’s Zaman of Turkey.

De Toledo said she had done her utmost to pressure the Israeli lobby in the US to refrain from labeling mass killings of Armenians at the hands of the Ottomans in 1915 as genocide, adding: “I was the strongest supporter of the Turkish position. And now I am really disappointed to see Turkish-Israeli relations at this point.”

Today’s Zaman recalls that although for many years Israel has held back from commenting on the matter for fear of angering Turkey, last year the Israeli parliament had a debate over whether to recognize the mass killing of Armenians by Ottoman Turks during World War I as genocide.