Controversy with Armenian Church

The Israeli government has become embroiled in a controversy with the Armenian Catholic Church here. The difficulties developed when the Interior Ministry refused to renew the visa of Archbishop Karekin Kazanjian, the Grand Sacristan or ChanceHor of the church in Jerusalem, and his deportation was rumored to be imminent.

The visa expired a month ago and renewal was denied without explanation. Unofficially, government sources cited “security” as the reason. Kazanjian was reportedly held responsible for the deterioration of relations between the Israeli authorities and the Armenian Church. Until recently, those relations had been far better than with most other churches in the country.

Last Wednesday, Archbishop Serobe Manookian, West European representative of the Armenian Church, come to Jerusalem to interced on Kazanjian’s behalf. He spoke by telephone with Interior Minister Yosef Burg who reportedly assured him that there were no immediate plans to expel Kazanjian. But his visa has not been renewed. The Israeli authorities apparently expected the Archbishop to leave the country voluntarily but he has refused.

CHARGE OF BLACKMAIL REJECTED

Manookian charged, after his conversation with Burg, that the Israeli government was trying to blackmail the Armenian Church by threatening to deport its ranking clergyman. He claimed that during a visit to Israel five months ago, an official on a “secondary level” warned him that Kazanjian’s visa would not be renewed unless the church agreed to return his predecessor to Jerusalem, the deposed former Chancellor Shahe Ajamian.

Ajamian, reportedly in trouble with his own church, was considered pro-Israel whereas the newly elected Chancellor, Kazanjian, is allegedly pro-Jordan. Israeli officials in charge of relations with Christian churches in Jerusalem have denied the blackmail charge.

Manookian stressed that the matter is of extreme importance to his church because the Grand Sacristan, like the Patriarch, is elected for life. He is the custodian of Armenian holy places in Jerusalem and the Armenian community worldwide would consider it a breach of the religious status quo in Israel if their Chancellor is not allowed to reside there.

DUE CAUSE IS CITED

Yitzhak Agassi, a spokesman for the Interior Ministry, said Thursday that the decision not to renew Kazanjian’s visa was taken for due cause. He said that a certain standard of behavior is expected from high ranking clergy and those familiar with the case would understand why the government acted as it did. Mayor Teddy Kollek of Jerusalem backed Agassi’s statement. “I am perfectly convinced that the Minister of Interior acted correctly, “Kollek said.

Meanwhile, the deposed Ajamian has filed suit against the Armenian Patriarch, Yeshighe Derderian, charging him among other things with signing his name to advertisements in the Jordanian press claiming that Ajamian is “an Israeli agent.” Israeli sources have intimated that Kazanjian instigated the advertisement and that was one of the reasons, though not the only one, why Burg decided several weeks ago not to renew the Archbishop’s visa.