At the request of the Armenian community of Israel, within the framework of a working visit to Israel from December 15 to 18, the Republic of Armenia’s High Commissioner for Diaspora Affairs, Zareh Sinanyan, visited the Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem. The delegation included Hovhannes Aleksanyan, Head of the Repatriation Integration Department of the Office of the High Commissioner for Diaspora Affairs, and Naira Kyureghyan, Head of the Integration Division of the same department. The delegation was welcomed at the airport by the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Armenia to Israel, Mr. Arman Hakobyan.
During the visit, the High Commissioner toured the Patriarchate and held a private meeting with His Beatitude Archbishop Nourhan Manougian, Armenian Patriarch of Jerusalem. A wide range of issues concerning the local Armenian community and the activities of the Patriarchate were discussed. Particular attention was given to the fate of the “Cow’s Garden” property, as well as numerous other important matters. Notably, the previous visit by an Armenian diaspora official at this level took place in 2010, when then-Minister of Diaspora Hranush Hakobyan visited Israel. In the context of ongoing wars and regional challenges, Mr. Sinanyan’s visit to Israel was therefore highly anticipated.
On the same day, within the framework of the working visit, Zareh Sinanyan also toured the Armenian Quarter of Jerusalem, visited the Calouste Gulbenkian Library of the Holy See—recognized as the second-largest Armenian library in the world after the Matenadaran and the largest in the Diaspora—the Armenian Benevolent Union of Jerusalem, and the Holy Translators School.
At the conclusion of the day, at the Vahan Tekeyan Cultural Association, Zareh Sinanyan met with members of the Regional Board of the Armenian Democratic Liberal Party (Ramgavar) and representatives of the Armenian community of Jerusalem. During the meeting, the High Commissioner answered participants’ questions and presented the Office’s programs and ongoing initiatives, emphasizing opportunities to expand community engagement and participation.
On December 16, as part of the working visit, Zareh Sinanyan visited the St. Elijah Armenian Apostolic Church in Haifa and met with the spiritual pastor of Haifa and Northern Israel, Reverend Father Tigran (Tirair) Hovakimyan. During the meeting, the spiritual leader presented the history of the Armenian community in the region, its current challenges, and its strong ties with Armenia, while reaffirming the community’s support for Armenia and the Armenian people as a whole.
In turn, the High Commissioner outlined the mission of the Office, its ongoing programs, and expressed hope that opportunities for cooperation and strengthening ties would further expand in the future. At the conclusion of the meeting, Zareh Sinanyan met with representatives of the local Armenian community, addressed their concerns, and discussed issues of mutual interest.
Later that day, the High Commissioner also visited the memorial square in central Haifa dedicated to the memory of the victims of the Armenian Genocide.
On December 17, within the framework of the working visit, Zareh Sinanyan, together with the founding members of the “Nairi” Association of Armenian Israelis of Petah Tikva, visited Aznavour Square in Petah Tikva, where he paid tribute and laid a wreath at the monument dedicated to the innocent victims of the Armenian Genocide.
On the same day, the High Commissioner met with representatives of the Armenian community from Tel Aviv, Bat Yam, Ramat Gan, Rosh HaAyin, Ariel, Holon, Petah Tikva, and other cities at the hall of St. Nicholas Monastery in Jaffa. During the meeting, the High Commissioner presented the Office’s programs and initiatives and answered participants’ questions, which primarily concerned repatriation, document acquisition procedures, and educational programs.
This was, in fact, the first meeting of its kind since Armenia’s independence, during which Armenian officials provided an open-format platform—virtually without time constraints—for direct engagement with community representatives, enabling free dialogue, discussion of a wide range of pressing issues, and a closer understanding of the challenges currently faced by the Armenian community of Israel.
Source: www.israelahayer.com
