Lebanese President Michel Aoun on Tuesday urged Arab nations to come together to “protect” the multi-faith character of Jerusalem, accusing Israel of trying to “Judaize Palestine”.
Aoun called on members of the Cairo-based Arab League to "unite our efforts to preserve the character of Jerusalem, which brings together both Christian and Muslim heritage".
"Is it possible to imagine Jerusalem without Al-Aqsa mosque, and without the Church of the Holy Sepulchre?" asked Aoun, who is visiting Egypt for the first time since his election in October.
On Monday Aoun, a Maronite Christian, met the leader of Egypt's Coptic Church, Pope Tawadros II, as well as Grand Imam Ahmed al-Tayeb of Al-Azhar, the highest institution of Sunni Islam in Egypt.
He also held talks with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi.
Aoun was elected president after two years of a political vacuum in Lebanon, during which the parliament 33 times failed to elect a new head of state due to lack of a quorum.
His candidacy was supported by the Hezbollah terrorist organization, which is a powerful force in Lebanon’s parliament.
Hezbollah is also a key member of Aoun’s cabinet, which was approved in late December. The group has two ministers in the cabinet. READ MORE
