Catholicos Aram I with Lebanese President Michel Aoun on Thursday in Beirut
ANTELIAS, JERUSALEM—The announcement by President Donald Trump on Wednesday recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel has angered Armenian church leaders with His Holiness Aram I, Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia and the Armenian Patriarchate in Jerusalem each making statements condemning the decision and warning of negative consequences.
Catholicos Aram I, who is presiding over the Cilician Catholicosate’s World National Assembly, said that Trump’s move to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital may have negative repercussions in a volatile region of the Middle East and jeopardize the peace process.
He made the statement during the Assembly’s visit with Lebanese President Michel Aoun, who also condemned Trump’s decision as harbinger of instability in the region.
Aram I also said emphasized the need to respect “the legitimate rights of Palestiniansâ€
