ARMINFO News Agency, Armenia
Friday
Former Armenian Ambassador to Egypt: The Reduction of the Armenian
community in Jerusalem is our main problem
Yerevan December 22
Ani Mshetsyan. "The problem of the reduction of the Armenian community
in Israel, and in particular in Jerusalem, is our main problem." On
December 22, the former Armenian Ambassador to Egypt Ruben Karapetyan
stated at a roundtable organized by the Ramkavar Azatakan Party and
dedicated to the fate of Armenian Jerusalem in the light of the latest
statement by US President Donald Trump.
He noted that it would certainly be right to send delegations both to
Israel and Palestine in order to listen to both sides and understand
the problem, but the Armenian Foreign Ministry was late with these
steps.
"Trump understands that his main ally in the Middle East is Israel,
and he supports it in every way against the background of the Middle
East crisis." concluded Karapetyan, stressing that the most important
thing for the Armenian community in this situation is to preserve its
independence in Israel.
Bishop Nathan, responsible for external affairs of the Holy
Echmiadzin, said that the fate of the Armenian Jerusalem in the light
of recent events is of concern to the church, but not for political
reasons. Anxiety is connected with the fate of the Armenian community
in Jerusalem.
He said that the church is very concerned about the fact that the
number of the Armenian community in Jerusalem is getting smaller and
smaller, in addition, Trump's statement does not say a word about what
will happen to the church communities that are in Jerusalem. "I am
very worried by the fact that Jerusalem can eventually become a closed
city like Bethlehem, which is walled and does not get there without
passport control, which complicates the lives of its residents. Almost
all the Armenians of Bethlehem have already moved, and I'm afraid ,
that the same fate will befall the Armenians of Jerusalem," the bishop
stressed.
He also noted that the church, in fact, is worried about the unknown.
"What will happen if the Israeli authorities do not recognize the
status quo of the church communities, what will happen to the
community itself and the lands, schools and Armenian families that are
in Jerusalem?".
On December 21, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution calling
not to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.
