Armenian Patriarch pleaded Trump against Jerusalem recognition

PanARMENIAN.Net - The Armenian Patriarch of Jerusalem and the head of the Armenian Catholic Church were among other patriarchs and heads of the main churches in the city who urged U.S. president Donald Trump against changing Washington's policy toward Jerusalem for fear this could cause “irreparable harm.”

The leaders sent a letter prior toTrump's move to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital which reversed decades of U.S. policy on Wednesday. The fate of Jerusalem is one of the thorniest issues between Israel and the Palestinians.

Eight of the 15 nations who are currently members of the United Nations Security Council have called for the body to hold an urgent meeting on the U.S. decision by the end of the week.

“We have been following, with concern, the reports about the possibility of changing how the United States understands and deals with the status of Jerusalem,” a letter from them Wednesday said, according to the Times of Israel.

“We are certain that such steps will yield increased hatred, conflict, violence and suffering in Jerusalem and the Holy Land, moving us farther from the goal of unity and deeper toward destructive division."

Besides the Armenian bishops, the letter was also signed by the heads of the Greek, Syrian, Ethiopian and Coptic Orthodox patriarchates, the Latin church, the Franciscan Order, the Greek-Melkite-Catholic patriarchate, the Maronites, the Episcopal Church, the Syrian Catholic church and the Evangelical Lutherans.

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