The Israeli Knesset plenum may discuss Turkey’s 1915 genocide of Armenians this week, despite Wednesday’s planned release of a report by State Comptroller Micha Lindenstrauss on Israel’s interception of Turkish ships bound for the Gaza Strip.

Meretz leader Zehava Gal-On asked for the issue to be discussed in the plenum last week but it was delayed due to deliberation over the “Outpost Bill.” When the Foreign Ministry asked her to wait another week due to the sensitivity of the comptroller’s report, she refused.

Knesset faction heads will meet Monday to discuss the plenum’s agenda for the week. They will decide whether the issue will be raised this Tuesday or Wednesday or delayed until next week.

Gal-On said she did not want to cause problems with Turkey and she wanted relations with the country to improve. But she said she believed the Foreign Ministry was using the comptroller’s report as an excuse to avoid dealing with the controversial Armenian issue.

“Meretz leaders raise the issue of the Armenian genocide every year because Israel has an ethical obligation to raise the issue,” Gal-On said. “It is wrong to connect the issue to the current crisis with Turkey. The report coming out is just a coincidence in timing and not a reason to not deal with the matter.”

Jerusalem Post; June 11, 2012