Yervant1 Posted August 3, 2024 Report Share Posted August 3, 2024 eurasianet Aug 2 2024 Armenians and Israeli settlers clash over land parcel in Old City Jerusalem Jerusalem’s Armenian Quarter threatened by real estate dispute. Ella Chakarian Aug 2, 2024 For more than 200 days, Setrag Balian, a fourth generation Jerusalemite-Armenian, has camped out in a tent in the Armenian Quarter of the Old City in Jerusalem. A ceramicist by trade, Balian is a co-founder of Save the ArQ, a group dedicated to blocking a murky development project that would forever alter the quarter’s character. In trying to scuttle the deal and preserve the Armenian Quarter, Balian’s group is facing off against Israeli developers who have been photographed with top representatives of an organization called Ateret Cohanim, which bills itself as “the leading urban land reclamation organization in Jerusalem, which has been working for over 40 years to restore Jewish life in the heart of ancient Jerusalem.” Ateret Cohanim has been involved in contentious property disputes in the past: most notably an almost-two-decades-long legal battle with the Greek Orthodox Church over control of three properties in the Old City. Ateret Cohanim representatives deny any connection to the Armenian quarter dispute, which involves a valuable patch of the Old City known as Cows’ Garden. The catalyst for confrontation is a sweetheart real estate leasing deal under which Israeli developers would gain the right to build a luxury hotel in Cows’ Garden in exchange for a surprisingly low annual payment of $300,000 to the Armenian Patriarchate, which controls the property. Members of the Armenian community in Jerusalem, alleging skullduggery on the part of those who secretly negotiated the deal, have sued to block it. But those who stand to benefit are not giving up easily— hence the standoff. “Armenians have been in Jerusalem since the fourth century,” said Balian. “The Patriarchate has been there as an institution since the 7th century. It is a very important plot of land.” Under the original agreement, signed in secret in 2021, the Armenian Patriarchate granted an Israeli entity, Xana Gardens Ltd, a 98-year lease to develop Cows’ Garden and some adjacent areas, including land covering the Patriarchate’s seminary. When the deal became public it caused an uproar among local Armenians. Responding to the backlash, the Patriarchate moved to invalidate the agreement in October 2023. Since then, the matter has been mired in legal wrangling. The process that led the Patriarchate to sign the deal in the first place remains a source of contention. The man who headed the Patriarchate’s real estate department and who negotiated the deal, Khachig (Baret) Yeretsian, was defrocked and has since fled Jerusalem, following allegations that he misled Archbishop Nourhan Manougian. Meanwhile, Palestinian and Jordanian authorities responded to the news by freezing their recognition of Archbishop Manougian as the leader of the Armenian Church in Jerusalem. Yeretsian has claimed in interviews that he is a “scapegoat,” insisting that others within the church hierarchy were fully aware and approved of the arrangement. He declined an interview request from Eurasianet, saying: “I have spoken before on many occasions, and I stick to my principles and will never change.” In an apparent effort to prove his version of events, Yeretsian posted a letter on social media seemingly signed by a top official within the Patriarchate, Fr. Samuel Aghoian, showing that the deal enjoyed the backing of the Patriarchate’s entire hierarchy. The letter emphasizes that the deal will supply “a steady income of hundreds of thousands of dollars annually, to support the Armenian Patriarchate with all its departments and its congregation.” When queried by Eurasianet, Aghoian declined to confirm the validity of the letter or provide comment due to the ongoing legal case to invalidate the deal. Balian says that since the Patriarchate moved to cancel the deal, there have been five separate incidents involving violence and intimidation against Cows’ Garden, undertaken by Jewish settlers set on seeing the deal through. “Within 24 hours of the Patriarchate issuing the cancellation letter to Xana Gardens, Israeli settlers attacked the boys on the ground with attack dogs and [brandishing] automatic weapons,” said Karnig Kerkonian, co-founder of Kerkonian Dajani LLP, the law firm representing the Armenian community of the Old City in its lawsuit to invalidate the deal. In later incidents on Cows’ Garden, Kerkonian alleged that Israeli police abetted efforts to get opponents of the deal to back down. Xana Gardens Ltd. was registered in Israel on July 8, 2021, which, according to Kerkonian, was one day after the signing of the real estate deal with the Armenian Patriarchate. Kerkonian said that his law firm's research of the company raises questions about possible ties to “certain Jewish settler groups.” Israeli-Australian developer and head of Xana Gardens, Danny Rothman, also known as Rubinstein, has been known to associate with leaders of the settler group, Ateret Cohanim. He did not respond to a request for comment from Eurasianet. George Warwar, another Xana Gardens representative who clashed with Armenians in Cows’ Garden last year, did not respond to multiple requests for comment from Eurasianet. Kerkonian said that since the creation of the state of Israel, the Armenian Quarter has lost 90 percent of its pre-1948 population. According to a census from 2006, 790 Armenians resided in the Old City— a 50 percent decline from the number in the 1960s. Kerkonian claimed that “there is clearly an attempt to remove the Armenian presence from places in the Middle East where they have had strongholds.” For centuries, Jerusalemite-Armenians have lived amicably with other communities in the Old City. Balian and other members of Save the ArQ believe that the current pressure against the Armenian Quarter is an outgrowth of the hard-right policies pursued by the Israeli government. Daniel Seidemann, a Jerusalem-based attorney providing non-legal counsel to the Armenian community, said there are precedents for shadowy dealings across the Old City in Jerusalem— even in the Armenian Quarter. He cited Shahe Ajemian, the Armenian archbishop of Jerusalem who was detained in 1986 on suspicion of being part of a bribery scheme that “allegedly involved identification cards, land deals and inside information on planned future projects.” What makes the current situation in the Armenian Quarter different, according to Seidemann, is “the attempt at physical intimidation here of an entire community” that, he says, “goes beyond anything we've witnessed in the past.” “As serious as this is to the Armenian community, it is indicative of a much greater challenge to the Christian and the Palestinian presence in Jerusalem and a very, even deeper threat to the character of the city,” he said. Armenians who live in the quarter describe the current situation as a land grab. They contend that if the deal goes through, it will effectively mean the end of the Armenian presence in Jerusalem. Sensitivities among local Armenians in Jerusalem have been heightened by Armenia’s loss of Nagorno-Karabakh in late 2023. The legal battle could take years to resolve. As it plays out, members of the community keep watch over Cows’ Garden in shifts, ready to resist any settler effort to occupy the parcel. Armenian volunteers play cards to pass the time and spend hours in conversation, while sacrificing time from their families and jobs. Balian said he feels motivated by the togetherness displayed in the tent. “Everybody has understood that this is an existential battle,” said Balian. “We all have to fight it.” Ella Chakarian is a journalist based in New York City and current M.S. Candidate at Columbia Journalism School. Follow her on Twitter @ellachakarian. https://eurasianet.org/armenians-and-israeli-settlers-clash-over-land-parcel-in-old-city-jerusalem Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yervant1 Posted August 15, 2024 Report Share Posted August 15, 2024 Aug 14 2024 Armenian Museum in Jerusalem’s Old City Reopens Amid Holy Land Conflict The Edward and Helen Mardigian Armenian Museum seeks to preserve 1,700 years of Armenian presence in the Holy Land. The museum has a collection of ecclesiastic vessels, including crosses and miters, some painted and inlaid with precious stones, used by generations of Armenian priests to perform the Divine Liturgy. (photo: Courtesy photo / Rachel Jaskow ) Michele Chabin WorldAugust 13, 2024 JERUSALEM — Numerically, Israel’s Armenian Christian community is barely a blip on the radar of Israel’s population of nearly 10 million, but its rich history and artistic traditions have left their mark in Jerusalem, where most of the country’s nearly 3,000 Armenians live. Although the community is famously insular — many of those who reside in the Armenian Quarter of Jerusalem’s Old City live in a church compound behind high stone walls — the quarter’s recently reopened Edward and Helen Mardigian Armenian Museum attests to the community’s deep roots in the Holy Land. In the year 301 — 12 years before Constantine’s Edict of Milan — Armenia became the first country to declare Christianity as its official religion. Soon afterward, pilgrims from the kingdom of Armenia arrived in Jerusalem, and over the 400 years that followed, Armenians built more than 70 monasteries and churches in the city. The community swelled to 15,000 following the 1915-1916 Armenian genocide perpetrated by Muslims against Armenian Christians in the Ottoman Empire. But thousands fled what had been British Mandatory Palestine in 1948, after Israel declared independence and was attacked by neighboring Arab armies. Originally a monastery and theological center for Armenian priests, in 1922, the large stone building was transformed into an orphanage for 600 Armenian children and teenagers who had survived the genocide. Today, the children’s etchings can still be found on a wall, and one room of the museum displays the names of every refugee child who once lived there. “The children and grandchildren of those orphans come to the museum and are so happy to see a tangible record of their family,” Tzoghig Karakashian, the museum’s general manager, said during a private tour. When the building was no longer needed as an orphanage, it was turned into a museum to house the many artifacts related to Armenian life. Before its renovation in late 2022, the museum “was dark and old and strangely weird,” Karakashian said with a smile. Now revitalized, thanks to funding from the Edward and Helen Mardigian Foundation, she noted it is modern and bright; sunlight streams through the triangular glass roof, which was inspired by the Louvre. Upon entering the museum, visitors encounter a gorgeous sixth-century mosaic floor depicting vines, many species of birds and the “Tree of Life,” a popular theme in Christian and Armenian art. It bears the inscription: “This mosaic is dedicated to the memory and salvation of all Armenians whose names God knows.” A local Muslim family discovered the 13-foot-by-21-foot mosaic, a remnant of an ancient Armenian church, in 1894 while digging their future home’s foundation. Discovered under part of the mosaic were the 1,700-year-old skeletons of 300 Armenian soldiers and priests who died defending their Christian faith. The Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem purchased the land, ensuring the preservation of the mosaic and bones. Sacrificial Faith The soldiers’ remains — like the rest of the museum — are a somber reminder of the sacrifices Armenian Christians have endured due to their faith. When the mosaic was restored and relocated to the museum, priests of the Armenian Apostolic Church interred the soldiers’ remains beneath it. The ground-floor rooms that surround the courtyard house collections of ancient decrees, illustrated books, church vessels, coins, pottery and copper objects, with explanations in English, Hebrew, French, Arabic or Armenian. The upper floor focuses on the genocide that killed 1.5 million Armenians. Visitors with an interest in liturgical vessels will be moved by the intricately designed sacred objects, including crosses and miters, some inlaid with precious stones, used by generations of Armenian priests in the Divine Liturgy. The manuscript room contains exquisitely illustrated religious texts, some with artistic renderings not only of Jesus and Mary but the rulers who commissioned the work. Some artifacts on display were used by generations of Armenian priests to perform the Divine Liturgy.(Photo: Courtesy photo) One of the museum’s more surprising artifacts is a robe sewn out of Napoleon Bonaparte’s tent. In 1799, after the French general’s army was defeated in what is today northern Israel, the Armenian community treated the wounded French soldiers. A grateful Napoleon wanted to show his appreciation, so when the priests requested a piece of his field tent, he readily offered it. Another surprise is an Armenian-owned printing press from 1833 — the first printing press ever used in Jerusalem — along with the metal type it used to print everything from posters to pamphlets. Armenians were also the first to introduce photography to the city. Anyone familiar with Jerusalem’s handcrafted Armenian pottery will be gratified to see the museum’s collection, which combines examples of 100-year-old pottery with more modern pieces. The first Armenian ceramicists were invited to Mandatory Palestine by the British a century ago to replace some 40,000 tiles at the Al-Aqsa Mosque. Although the Al-Aqsa project was ultimately given to Muslims, the Armenians stayed in Jerusalem and opened the first Armenian pottery studio. Today, a handful of Armenian potters continue to sell their decorative tiles, vases and bowls in shops in the Old City. Impacted by War Unfortunately, due to the war that has ensued since the Oct. 7 Hamas attack, there are few tourists. This has negatively affected the museum. “On Oct. 7, 150 visitors, Jews and Arabs from Israel, were scheduled to visit,” Karakashian said. “When they hadn’t arrived by 11 a.m., we knew they had canceled.” That morning, Hamas launched hundreds of rockets toward Israel. The museum, which closed its doors for all except private groups from that day forward, reopened July 2 and now has regular visiting hours — though this could change if the war intensifies. Despite the many generations that Armenian Christians have been in Jerusalem, they live with the constant knowledge that their well-being and future relies on others. The exclusive control by Muslims over the Holy Land’s sacred Christian sites, afforded by a decree by Saladin following his 1187 conquest against the Crusaders (the museum has a replica of the decree), has been superseded over the subsequent centuries by other decrees, rulers and wars. Today, the state of Israel rules the territory, and Christians of all denominations have a stake in holy sites. Despite the many challenges the Armenian Christian community continues to face, Karakashian says the museum “gives me perspective and the hope for better days to come.” Michele Chabin Michele Chabin is the Register’s Middle East correspondent. She writes from Jerusalem. https://www.ncregister.com/news/armenian-museum-jerusalem-holy-land-conflict Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yervant1 Posted August 28, 2024 Report Share Posted August 28, 2024 Jerusalem Post Aug 27 2024\ Jerusalem’s Armenian Quarter under threat: Urgent call for protection - opinion Jerusalem’s Armenian Quarter faces a critical threat from real estate deals and far-Right ambitions. Urgent action is needed to protect this vital part of the city’s cultural and religious heritage. By NADAV TAMIR Jerusalem’s special status as one of the world’s cultural centers and an attractive tourist destination stems from it being the cradle of three monotheistic religions. It is center to which a significant number of the world’s citizens feel a religious, cultural, or historical connection. The strength and uniqueness of Jerusalem, as well as its economic potential for residents, depends on the ability of the capital’s leaders and the state to maintain its interreligious and cultural identity. The Armenian community is one of Jerusalem’s oldest, with the first Armenians arriving as early as the 4th century CE and the Armenian Patriarchate being active in the city since the 7th century. Jerusalem is the most important center of the Armenian community outside its homeland; and the Armenians were the first to convert to Christianity as a nation in 301 AD. But this glorious history does not help the small community in dealing with the ambitions of the far-Right to take over the Armenian Quarter. The Armenians in Jerusalem are one of the smallest and most vulnerable communities; they are neither Palestinian nor Israeli, and have no interest in being dragged into the ongoing conflict. They do not have the support of strong churches or states such as the Catholics, Greek Orthodox, Russian Provo Slavs, or Protestants. Being in this vulnerable position, they are reluctantly at the forefront of an ongoing struggle to prevent settlers and real estate moguls from harming the multiculturalism and multi-religiosity of Jerusalem – the city’s most important resource and what makes it a lodestone to the entire world. Though a small community of only 2,000 people, their real estate is in high demand and is causing them to experience distress and harassment. This is the reality of Jerusalem’s Armenian Quarter, situated in a highly desirable location on the road leading from the Jaffa Gate to the Jewish Quarter and the Western Wall. A major distress for Armenian Quarter residents is that it is the last undeveloped space of the Old City, a plot of 11.5 dunam (3 acres) that has been the focus of takeover efforts by Jewish settler organizations. Recently, a company owned by an Israeli-Australian businessman has managed to lease the plot and several adjacent buildings from the Armenian Patriarchate into the next century, for the laughable sum of only $2 million. The entrepreneurs have denied any connection to right-wing NGOs, but were seen meeting with Mati Dan, head of the 40-year-old Ateret Cohanim, the self-defined “leading urban land reclamation organization in Jerusalem,” the leader of settlement efforts in the heart of the east Jerusalem neighborhoods. For two years, the space continued to serve as a parking lot for residents and visitors, until a few months ago when developers attempted to begin preparations for the construction of a hotel. Issues surrounding the deal have led to the departure of the Armenian Patriarchy’s real estate manager who headed the deal, and a public and legal struggle has been initiated by residents of the quarter to stop the takeover attempt. Questions regarding the deal The questions hovering over the deal are many, from transferring half of the ownership from the buyer to a third party (which is legal but suspicious); documents proving that the Patriarchate had no authority to sell the land; the price of the deal which is a fraction of the real value of the land; to the strange timing of increased harassment against quarter residents. Now is the time for the State of Israel and the Jerusalem Municipality to intervene. Turning this charming and unique quarter into an arena for interreligious confrontations will only continue to harm Jerusalem’s status. The defense of the quarter is not only a moral imperative to protect a small but rooted minority that has tied its fate to the city, but a basic need to protect the name, image, and location of Jerusalem as a city that constitutes a spiritual and religious center for three different monotheistic religions. The state and the municipality have a moral and strategic obligation to prevent the expulsion of Armenians from the quarter and to turn the crisis into an opportunity by helping the Armenian community turn the disputed territory into a site that will attract Christians from all over the world to Jerusalem as this holy and beautiful city deserves. The writer is J Street Israel’s executive director. He has served as an Israeli diplomat in Washington and Boston and as a political adviser to the president of Israel. https://www.jpost.com/opinion/article-816488 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yervant1 Posted September 16, 2024 Report Share Posted September 16, 2024 Christian Post Sept 14 2024 Armenians, too, have a formidable history in the Holy Land By Bedross Der Matossian, Op-ed contributor Sunday, September 15, 2024 An Armenian church in the Armenian Quarter, Jerusalem. | Kate Salo In 1894, the American archeologist Frederick J. Bliss made a seminal discovery: a richly decorated sixth-century mosaic from an Armenian mortuary chapel dating to the Byzantine period. Discovered in Musrara, a few hundred meters from the Damascus Gate of the Old City of Jerusalem, it is the only intact mosaic ever found outside Armenia proper with Armenian inscriptions — which in turn are the oldest examples of Armenian writing to have survived over the centuries. I am reminded of these startling facts as I reflect on the controversy raging over the sale of the “Cow’s Garden” in the Old City of Jerusalem, which has stirred up Armenian anger amid charges of corruption, and in turn has agitated Jewish radicals against Armenians. As an Armenian born and raised in the Old City of Jerusalem (now teaching at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln), I feel compelled to set the record straight, for things are much misunderstood. I think many would be surprised to learn not only of the profundity of the Armenian presence in the Holy Land, but of how many similarities there are between both peoples, being diasporic groups scattered around the globe in the course of history that suffered the most horrendous genocides of the 20th Century: The Armenian Genocide (1915-1923) and the Shoah (1941-1945). Even though the Holy Land was never part of Historic Armenia, our historical roots here are deep; our place should be not only protected but cherished. The first recorded Armenian pilgrimage to the Holy Land occurred in the early 4th century AD when a delegation of priests arrived in the Holy City. When Anastas Vartabed Akoretsi (c. 636-650) visited Jerusalem several centuries later, he could already count 70 monasteries in and around Jerusalem built by Armenians (as well as Caucasian Albanians). Such archeological and historical facts attest to the connection of Armenians to the Holy Land and the Old City of Jerusalem in particular. Indeed, outside historic Armenia, the Armenian presence in Jerusalem is the oldest. Our community uses the term “Armenian Jerusalem” due to the solid historical presence of the Armenian Patriarchate as well as of the lay community, the core of which are the descendants of those first Armenian pilgrims. In a way, Jerusalem can be viewed as the most important religious and cultural center in Armenian history. Armenian kingdoms and principalities in historical Armenia fell one after another, the last being the Cilician Kingdom (1098-1375). That left only today’s small rump state in the South Caucasus, whose borders were defined by the Soviet Union. But our corner of Jerusalem remained intact. Over the centuries, it survived many rulers: Roman, Byzantine, Persian, Arab, Crusaders, Ayyubids, Mamluks, Ottomans, British, and Jordanians. Despite political upheavals in the region, “Armenian Jerusalem” persevered. The Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem in its present form came into being in the first decade of the 14th century when the Brotherhood of St. James was founded. Today, it shares guardianship of Christianity’s holy sites — including the Church of the Holy Sepulcher and the Church of the Nativity — with the Greek Orthodox and Latin (Roman Catholic) churches. This critical function helps explain the resilience of the Armenians in Jerusalem. Of all the “Little Armenias” scattered not around the world, the one in Jerusalem is perhaps the most authentic — driven by its role for all Christendom and symbolized by the physical presence of countless cultural treasures. The beautiful Church of St. James, the Convent of Holy Archangels, and the Church of St. Toros are spiritual and artistic gems. The Patriarchate houses 4,000 manuscripts, considered as the second-largest collection of Armenian manuscripts outside Armenia. The Gulbenkian Library in Jerusalem is regarded as the largest Armenian library outside Armenia, housing more than one hundred thousand books. The Mardigian Museum contains the most important artifacts, detailing the history of the Armenians of Jerusalem. The Armenian Patriarchate has also played a dominant role in resurrecting the Armenian nation from the brink of extinction. It housed and fed thousands of refugees who survived the 1915 Armenian Genocide perpetrated by the Ottomans and established orphanages in the Armenian Cathedral and other nearby places. Some stayed on, enriching the Armenian community here. Community members excelled in photography, ceramics, goldsmith, and silversmith, among other professions. The community began a dramatic decline due to the 1948 and 1967 wars when many Armenians lost their homes and businesses in West Jerusalem as well as other areas in Israel. Sadly, for decades, spitting and harassing Armenian priests has become the norm among some within the Ultra-Orthodox community. I know that the abuses by radicals do not represent the general attitude of Israeli society towards Armenians. Some groups of Israelis have visited the encampment site on multiple occasions to show solidarity. But this entire situation is endangering our valuable and longstanding presence in Jerusalem. Without international pressure on the Israeli government, Jewish religious leaders, and Israeli society, the Armenian community and the Armenian Patriarchate will continue to suffer these abuses. During the 1948 War an editorial in Sion (the organ of the Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem), described well the deep attachment of Armenians to this corner of the world: “Considered in conventional [military] terms, (we) did not engage in an epic battle during the bloody events in Palestine. (Yet it) still can be seen as an epic stance, as the Brotherhood and the civilian population, united, demonstrated their resolve in defending our spiritual and national heritage, our lives and possessions, and, above all, our honor, which for centuries has always been illustrious and praiseworthy in these Holy Lands.” Today, the Armenian Community of Jerusalem and the Armenian Patriarchate are united once more, in preserving the 1,700 years of Armenian presence in Jerusalem. The dispute is not only about a land deal but about preserving a great cultural heritage. And that mosaic from Musrara? It has been relocated from Musrara to the newly renovated Mardigian Museum in the Armenian Quarter of Jerusalem. Let’s hope that’s where it stays. Bedross Der Matossian is a professor of Middle East History at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. https://www.christianpost.com/voices/armenians-too-have-a-formidable-history-in-the-holy-land.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yervant1 Posted November 9, 2024 Report Share Posted November 9, 2024 The World Nov 8 2024 Armenian Christians of Jerusalem say their centuries-old community faces an existential threat Armenian Christians in the Old City of Jerusalem say their centuries-old community is facing an existential threat. It stems from an ongoing legal dispute over a real estate deal signed three years ago. Members of the small minority community of Armenians in Jerusalem say they are fearful about their future in the holy city. The World November 6, 2024 By Matthew Bell Hagop Djernazian has been standing guard over a parking lot in shifts along with a small group of activists in the Armenian Quarter of Jerusalem’s Old City. Members of the group, called “Save the Arq,” have maintained a presence here, day and night, over the past year — to protect the land from demolition, they say. Like many places in this part of the world, the parking lot is more than just a parking lot. “This entire area is called the historical Armenian garden,” said Djernazian who grew up in Jerusalem’s Armenian Quarter. “The Armenian presence in Jerusalem dates back to the fourth century and this plot of land that we are standing in is under ownership of the Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem for more than 700 years.” Djernazian pointed to the ancient walls of the Old City, the Cathedral of St. James and several residential homes, including the home of the Armenian patriarch — who’s the head of the Armenian Apostolic Church. Armenian Christians here say their community is currently facing an unprecedented threat. It stems from an ongoing legal dispute over a real estate deal signed three years ago. But this isn’t just a real estate squabble, they say. Members of the small minority community of Armenians, that have lived in Jerusalem for centuries, are fearful about their future in the holy city. “If we don’t win this struggle, it will put the Christian presence in Jerusalem in great danger,” Djernazian said. The Armenian patriarch, Archbishop Nourhan Manougian, signed off on a secret deal to sell part of the parking lot and surrounding areas to a Jewish businessman in 2021. When the details of that agreement later became public, Djernazian explained that people in the Armenian Quarter were not happy about it. “The community, (along with) local Christian leaders, international Armenian leaders, organizations and communities, pressured the Patriarchate to cancel the deal. And, we succeeded,” Djernazian said. Last summer, the patriarch renounced the real estate deal. Manougian said he was misled by his own real estate adviser — an Armenian priest himself who’s since been defrocked and fled to the US. Manougian said the agreement to sell property in the heart of the Armenian Quarter should be nullified. But the buyers have refused to back down. One night in early November 2023, a group of Jewish men with guns and dogs showed up in the parking lot to confront local Armenians who had come out to stop a bulldozer used to dig up some of the parking lot and knock down a stone wall. Since then, the situation has remained in a stalemate of sorts. There’s an ongoing legal battle in Israeli courts, and the Armenian activists have been trying to attract international attention to their fight to prevent the property deal from going through. Karnig Kerkonian is an American attorney based in Chicago, and part of the legal team representing Jerusalem’s Armenian community in Israeli court. He said that this fight is about a lot more than a real estate deal gone bad. “This particular property that’s at stake right now is fundamental to the ability of Armenian Christians to live as Armenian Christians in the Old City of Jerusalem,” Kerkonian said. One part of their argument in court is based on a centuries-old document. It was drawn up during the days when the Ottoman Empire ruled over Jerusalem. “What we have is a trust that was created in the late 1500s by an Armenian priest, which essentially bequeathed this property to his descendants,” Kerkonian said. “And, if there are no other descendants, then, to the Armenian community. Those are the words that are used in the trust with the church being the trustee.” Kerkonian said the old document shows definitively that the Manougian, the Armenian patriarch, never had the proper authority to sell property in the Armenian Quarter. Kerkonian pointed out that Ottoman-era documentation has been used successfully in Israeli courts before. Usually, this involves Jewish Israelis claiming ownership over property inhabited by Palestinians. Beyond the legal strategy, though, Kerkonian said that this dispute is about maintaining the unique religious diversity in one of the holiest places on Earth. “This is what Jerusalem stands for. Particularly given the fact that we [Americans], our tax dollars, invest so much money into the region to try to preserve some sort of peaceful coexistence in a region that is, quite frankly, inflamed right now.” The company that is trying to buy land in the heart of the Armenian Quarter is called Xana Gardens. Kerkonian said that Xana was only founded in 2021, right after the now-disputed real estate deal was signed. A lawyer for Xana Gardens told The World that his client would not allow him to do an interview for this story. The company is allegedly connected to far-right Jewish activists who’ve been trying to help Israeli Jews buy properties in the Old City and other parts of East Jerusalem, where most of the city’s Muslims and Christians live. Arieh King has been active with this kind of effort. He is also the deputy mayor of Jerusaelm. King told The World that the buyers involved with this transaction in the Armenian Quarter asked him to get involved in the legal case. But King said that he refused to do so. “I say ‘no’ because I’m not sure about the legitimacy of the deal, and my name is important to me. I prefer not to be involved,” King said. King added that this dispute should be settled by the courts, not by politicians and not the municipal government. And in any case, as he sees it, the fears expressed by Armenians about being driven out of Jerusalem are overblown. Armenian Christians living in Israel are safer than those in other parts of the Middle East, King said. But this is a population that is small and getting smaller. Some estimates put the number of Armenians living in the Old City of Jerusalem at about 2,000. But a census from 2006 found fewer than a thousand Armenians living in the Armenian Quarter. Jerusalem City Councilmember Laura Wharton told The World that she has been suspicious about this real estate deal, and that she worries it’s all part of the Israeli far-right’s goal to push non-Jews out of Jerusalem. But she said that she’s also confident that the Armenians will win their court case and will be able to hold on to this highly valued piece of property in the Old City. “There is an Israeli law about protecting the holy places and it explicitly says that Israel is responsible for protecting the holy sites of all religions and protecting freedom of religion,” Wharton said. Israeli authorities are also required by law to protect “the dignity and rights of the different peoples and different religions,” Wharton added. “And I think most Israelis are — an overwhelming majority — are supportive of that.” Back in the parking lot, Armenian activists say they are not going anywhere until their legal battle is settled. That could be many months, or even years, away. Using some of the rubble created by that bulldozer, they built a barrier across part of the lot, along with a makeshift shelter to sleep in at night, and welcome visitors during the day. https://theworld.org/stories/2024/11/06/armenian-christians-of-jerusalem-say-their-centuries-old-community-faces-an-existential-threat Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yervant1 Posted December 19, 2024 Report Share Posted December 19, 2024 Dec 17 2024 Silent Struggles: Armenians in Jerusalem's Old City Amid regional turmoil, Armenian residents of Jerusalem's Old City face a quieter existential battle to preserve their community. Threatened by land deals and regional forces, the Armenians fear their historical presence is at risk, sparking protests and legal action to ensure their future in the city. In Jerusalem's Old City, a quiet but vital struggle unfolds as the Armenian community fights to safeguard its existence amidst regional tensions. Despite being one of Jerusalem's oldest communities, they now face existential threats from controversial land deals and external pressures. The controversy surrounds an illegal land deal initiated by an Armenian priest accused of fraudulently leasing community land to a company linked with a local businessman with a criminal past. The community's response has been one of protest and legal action, casting doubts on the patriarchate's ability to protect their interests. Amidst rising hate crimes and disputes over land ownership, the Armenian community is determined to maintain its presence. Although challenges persist, community members and clergy strive for resilience and unity, finding motivation in their struggle to ensure a secure future for their heritage in Jerusalem's Old City. (With inputs from agencies.) https://www.devdiscourse.com/article/law-order/3198592-silent-struggles-armenians-in-jerusalems-old-city Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yervant1 Posted December 19, 2024 Report Share Posted December 19, 2024 Al-Jazeera, Qatar Dec 18 2024 Armenian Christians in Jerusalem’s Old City feel the walls closing in One of the oldest communities in Jerusalem begins to fracture under pressure from forces they say threaten them. As Israel’s war on Gaza rages and Israeli attacks on people in the occupied West Bank continue, Armenian residents of the Old City of Jerusalem are fighting a different battle – quieter, they say, but no less existential. One of the oldest communities in Jerusalem, the Armenians have lived in the Old City for more than 1,500 years, centred around the Armenian convent. Now, the small Christian community has begun to fracture under pressure from forces they say threaten them and the multifaith character of the Old City – from Jewish settlers who jeer at clergymen on their way to prayer to a land deal threatening to turn a quarter of their land into a luxury hotel. Chasms have emerged between the Armenian Patriarchate and the mainly secular community, whose members worry the church is not equipped to protect their dwindling population and embattled convent. In the Armenian Quarter is Save the Arq’s headquarters, a structure with reinforced plywood walls hung with ancient maps inhabited by Armenians who are there to protest what they see as an illegal land grab by a real estate developer. The land under threat is where the community holds events and also includes parts of the patriarchate itself. After years of the patriarchate refusing to sell any of its land, Armenian priest Baret Yeretsian secretly “leased” the lot in 2021 for up to 98 years to Xana Capital, a company registered just before the agreement was signed. Xana turned more than half the shares to a local businessman, George Warwar, who has been involved in various criminal offences. Community members were outraged. The priest fled the country and the patriarchate cancelled the deal in October, but Xana objected and the contract is now in mediation. Xana has sent armed men to the lot, the activists say, attacking people, including clergy, with pepper spray and batons. The activists say Warwar has the backing of a prominent settler organisation seeking to expand the Jewish presence in Jerusalem’s Old City. The organisation, Ateret Cohanim, is behind several controversial land acquisitions in the Old City, and its leaders were photographed with Warwar and Xana Capital owner Danny Rothman, also known as Danny Rubinstein, in December 2023. Ateret Cohanim denied any connection to the land deal. Activists filed suit against the patriarchate in February, seeking to have the deal declared void and the land to belong to the community in perpetuity. The patriarchate refused, saying it owns the land. Armenians began arriving in the Old City as early as the fourth century with a large wave arriving in the early 20th century, fleeing the Ottoman Empire. They have the same status as Palestinians in Israeli-occupied East Jerusalem – residents but not citizens, effectively stateless. Today, the newcomers are mainly boys who arrive from Armenia to live and study in the convent although many drop out. Clergy say that’s partially because attacks against Christians have increased, leaving the Armenians – whose convent is closest to the Jewish Quarter and is along a popular route to the Western Wall – vulnerable. Father Aghan Gogchyan, the patriarchate’s chancellor, said he’s regularly attacked by groups of Jewish nationalists. The Rossing Center, which tracks anti-Christian attacks in the Holy Land, documented about 20 attacks on Armenian people and property and church properties in 2023, many involving ultranationalist Jewish settlers spitting at Armenian clergy or graffiti reading “Death to Christians” scrawled on the quarter’s walls. See photos at https://www.aljazeera.com/gallery/2024/12/18/armenian-christians-in-jerusalems-old-city-feel-the-walls-closing-in Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yervant1 Posted December 20, 2024 Report Share Posted December 20, 2024 The Times of Israel Dec 18 2024 Eclipsed by conflict, Armenians struggle for survival in Jerusalem’s Old City As population dwindles, small Armenian Christian community face attacks from Jewish fundamentalists and is in danger of losing land to questionable deal By AP and ToI Staff As the war in Gaza rages, Syria’s government transforms, and the West Bank seethes, Armenian residents of the Old City of Jerusalem fight a different battle — one that is quieter, they say, but no less existential. One of the oldest communities in Jerusalem, the Armenians have lived in the Old City for decades without significant friction with their neighbors, centered around a convent that acts as a welfare state. Now, the small Christian community has begun to fracture under pressure from forces they say threaten them and the multifaith character of the Old City. From radical Jews who jeer at clergymen on the way to prayer, to a land deal threatening to turn a quarter of their land into a luxury hotel, residents and the church alike say the future of the community is in flux. Their struggle, playing out under the cover of many regional crises, reflects the difficulty of maintaining a non-Jewish presence in a Jerusalem where life has hardened for religious minorities in the Old City. Chasms have emerged between the Armenian Patriarchate, the traditional steward of community affairs, and the mainly secular community itself. Its members worry that the church is not equipped to protect their dwindling population and embattled convent from obsolescence and takeover. A tent in a parking lot Walk through the narrow passageways of the Armenian Quarter, past a perpetually manned guard post and into an open lot with a towering pile of shrapnel crested with the Armenian flag. You’ve arrived at the headquarters of the “Save the Arq” movement. It’s where some residents of the Armenian Quarter have decamped, in a structure with reinforced plywood walls hung with ancient maps, to protest what they see as an illegal land grab by a controversial real estate developer. The land under threat is where the community parks their cars and holds group dinners. It also includes parts of the patriarchate itself. It was a receiving point for those fleeing the mass killing of some 1.5 million Armenians by Ottoman Turks, widely viewed by scholars as the first genocide of the 20th century. Turkey denies the deaths constituted genocide. The patriarchate has batted away offer after offer to sell the land. That changed in 2021, when an Armenian priest, Baret Yeretsian, signed a fraudulent deal leasing the lot for up to 98 years to a company called Xana Capital, registered just before the agreement was signed. Xana then turned over half the shares to a local businessman, George Warwar, who has been involved in various criminal offenses, according to court filings, including a 24-month prison sentence for armed robbery, and has declared bankruptcy in the past. In court documents seen by the AP, the patriarchate has admitted that Warwar bribed the priest and that the two had sustained “various inappropriate connections” leading up to the signing of the deal. Community members were outraged when they found out, prompting the priest to flee the country. The patriarchate canceled the deal in October, but Xana fought back, and the two are now in mediation over the contract. Xana Capital has since sent armed men to the lot, the activists say, attacking members of the community, including clergy, with pepper spray and batons. With the future of the site unclear, the activists say they appealed to the patriarchate to find out what was going on. The activists say that Warwar has the backing of a prominent settler organization seeking to expand Jewish presence in Jerusalem’s Old City. The organization, Ateret Cohanim, is behind several controversial land acquisitions in the Old City, and its leaders were photographed meeting with Warwar and Danny Rothman, the owner of Xana Capital who also uses the last name Rubinstein, in December 2023. The organization denied any connection to the land deal. “But as soon as the deal was signed, the patriarchate went into silent mode, bunker mode,” said Setrag Balian, 27, a ceramicist. “We decided that we have to take action and not once again be on the sidelines, watching and hoping that the patriarchy will take the right steps.” So Balian and fellow resident Hagop Djernazian collected some 300 signatures from the community and filed suit against the patriarchate in February, asking it to declare the deal void and to say, for posterity, that the land belongs to the community. In response, the patriarchate said it owns the land, not the community. Xana, meanwhile, filed a response calling the activists antisemitic squatters. The patriarchate’s response and Xana’s words, the activists said, leave open the chance that the land could be leased again in the future. “It made us feel like we could not trust the institution who brought us to this day to solve this problem, to solve this conflict,” said Djernazian. The patriarchate declined to comment on the land deal for this article, saying it could impact mediation efforts underway with Xana. A single observer Inside the Armenian convent, the clergy are hushed, pathways empty. On a recent afternoon, priests in black robes rang the bell for daily prayers at the St. James Cathedral, the storied Armenian church occupying one of the highest points in the Old City. Filing into the darkened space, the men and the young seminary choir were joined only by an Israeli tour group and one Armenian woman who’d come to pray. Father Parsegh Galamterian, church sacristan, has watched prayers thin out over the years, as the Armenian population in the quarter has shrunk from about 15,000 in 1948, the founding of the State of Israel, to around 2,000. “The future is difficult,” he says. Armenians began arriving in the Old City as early as the 4th century, inspired by the religious significance of the city to Christianity. In the early 20th century, they were joined by masses of Armenians who flocked to Jerusalem after being driven out of the Ottoman Empire. Theirs is the smallest quarter in the Old City, home to Armenians with the same status as Palestinians in East Jerusalem — residents but not citizens, effectively stateless. Today, the newcomers are mainly boys who arrive from Armenia to live and study in the convent. Some stay, but many drop out of studies. Clergy say that’s partially because attacks against Christians have ramped up within the walls of the Old City, leaving the Armenians – whose convent is closest to the Jewish Quarter and is tucked along a popular route to the Western Wall – vulnerable. Father Aghan Gogchyan, the patriarchate’s chancellor, said he’s regularly attacked by groups of Jewish fundamentalists. He recalled one instance, a month ago, when clergy were headed to prayer. He was intercepted by a group of Jews, who asked if they were Christians. “You know that you don’t have a future here in the Holy Land. You’re not going to continue to live here,” he recalled one man saying. “This is our country. We are going to eradicate you.” “This is the word he used,” said Gogchyan. “We are going to eradicate you from our country.” The Rossing Center, which tracks anti-Christian attacks in the Holy Land, documented about 20 attacks on Armenian observers, Armenian private property, and church properties in 2023, many involving ultranationalist Jews spitting at Armenian clergy or graffiti reading “Death to Christians” scrawled on the quarter’s walls. “What is being said behind closed doors is that Jerusalem is becoming a place that is no longer hospitable to Christianity,” said Daniel Seidman, a Jerusalem lawyer and peace activist. “You can see the needle moving. The spike in hate crimes is not part of this plan, but it’s part of the impact.” The incidents send a clear message to the next generation, said Gogchyan: stay away. “The new generation doesn’t want to be in the center of the conflict,” said Gogchyan. “They’re building their future in different countries.” Despite the fractures, Armenian clergy and activists told the AP they want the same thing: a continued presence in the Old City. “Some people feel helpless and hopeless and they want to leave,” said Balian. “But I think the majority sees that there is a struggle going on. It gives us a meaning. It gives us a purpose. It gives us a reason to stay here.” https://www.timesofisrael.com/eclipsed-by-conflict-armenians-fight-for-survival-in-jerusalems-old-city/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yervant1 Posted January 8, 2025 Report Share Posted January 8, 2025 City Watch Jan 6 2025 Armenian Christians of Jerusalem Face an Existential Threat Mihran Kalaydjian January 06 2025 ARMENIAN STRUGGLE - The Armenian people have a storied history stretching back thousands of years. From language and culture to religion and politics, Armenians have a distinct identity that has developed over centuries. Armenia was the first state to adopt Christianity on a national scale (in the 4th Century AD), and Armenian monks settled in Jerusalem soon, thereafter, founding an Armenian diaspora community that lasts until this day. One of the oldest communities in Jerusalem, the Armenians have lived in the Old City for decades without significant friction with their neighbors, centered around a convent that acts as a welfare state. Now, the small Christian community has begun to fracture under pressure from forces they say threaten them and the multifaith character of the Old City. From radical Jewish settlers who jeer at clergymen on the way to prayer, to a land deal threatening to turn a quarter of their land into a luxury hotel, residents and the church alike say the future of the community is in flux. As the war in Gaza rages, Syria's government transforms, and the Israeli-occupied West Bank seethes, Armenian residents of the Old City of Jerusalem fight a different battle — one that is quieter, they say, but no less existential. Their struggle, playing out under the cover of many regional crises, reflects the difficulty of maintaining a non-Jewish presence in a Jerusalem where life has hardened for religious minorities in the Old City. Chasms have emerged between the Armenian Patriarchate, the traditional steward of community affairs, and the mainly secular community itself. Its members worry that the church is not equipped to protect their dwindling population and embattled convent from obsolescence and takeover. Their struggle, playing out under the cover of many regional crises, reflects the difficulty of maintaining a non-Jewish presence in a Jerusalem where life has hardened for religious minorities in the Old City. Chasms have emerged between the Armenian Patriarchate, the traditional steward of community affairs, and the mainly secular community itself. Its members worry that the church is not equipped to protect their dwindling population and embattled convent from obsolescence and takeover. A major distress for Armenian Quarter residents is that it is the last undeveloped space of the Old City, a plot of 11.5 dunam (3 acres) that has been the focus of takeover efforts by Jewish settler organizations. Walk through the narrow passageways of the Armenian Quarter, past a perpetually manned guard post and into an open lot with a towering pile of shrapnel crested with the Armenian flag. It’s where some residents of the Armenian Quarter have decamped, in a structure with reinforced plywood walls hung with ancient maps, to protest what they see as an illegal land grab by a controversial real estate developer. The land under threat is where the community parks their cars and holds group dinners. It also includes parts of the patriarchate itself. It’s been a receiving point for those fleeing the mass killing of some 1.5 million Armenians by Ottoman Turks, widely viewed by scholars as the first genocide of the 20th century. Turkey denies the deaths constituted genocide. The deal also came about at a time when Christians and Muslims in the Old City and East Jerusalem are under pressure by Jewish settler groups trying to take control of properties with the explicit aim of Judaizing the city. I know that the abuses by radicals do not represent the general attitude of Israeli society towards Armenians. Some groups of Israelis have visited the encampment site on multiple occasions to show solidarity. But this entire situation is endangering our valuable and longstanding presence in Jerusalem. Without international pressure on the Israeli government, Jewish religious leaders, and Israeli society, the Armenian community and the Armenian Patriarchate will continue to suffer these abuses. In Jerusalem’s tense cultural politics, the Armenians are widely considered the most peaceful demographic in the Old City, maintaining good relations with both Jewish Israelis and Arab Palestinians. That unique status has been complicated by the fact that they are sitting on one of the Holy Land’s most valuable pieces of real estate. Today, the Armenian Community of Jerusalem and the Armenian Patriarchate are united once more, in preserving the 1,700 years of Armenian presence in Jerusalem. The dispute is not only about a land deal but about preserving a great cultural heritage. (Mihran Kalaydjian has over twenty years of public affairs, government relations, legislative affairs, public policy, community relations and strategic communications experience. He is a leading member of the community and a devoted civic engagement activist for education spearheading numerous academic initiatives in local political forums.) https://www.citywatchla.com/voices/30136-armenian-christians-of-jerusalem-face-an-existential-threat Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yervant1 Posted February 5, 2025 Report Share Posted February 5, 2025 Feb 4 2025 Israel Should Leave Jerusalem’s Armenian Quarter to the Armenians Israeli Courts Should Void a Property Lease Not Only for Legal Reasons, but Also for Diplomatic and Moral Ones February 4, 2025 Michael Rubin Many first-time Jewish visitors to the Old City of Jerusalem walk through the Armenian Quarter without even realizing it as they head from the Jaffa Gate to the Western Wall. Teen tours cross from the Armenian Quarter into the Jewish Quarter to see the site of the 16th-century Hurva Synagogue, dynamited by the Jordanians upon their capture of the Old City in 1948. Many Christian pilgrims bypass the Armenian Quarter as they visit the Church of the Holy Sepulchre from the Jaffa Gate or New Gate or follow the Via Dolorosa from the Lion’s Gate through the Muslim Quarter to the church that sits on the site of both the crucifixion and the tomb of Jesus of Nazareth. In March 2020, the Armenian Patriarchate signed an agreement with the Municipality of Jerusalem to make a parking lot. Today, plans to develop the Armenian Quarter threaten to upend the 0.05-square-mile neighborhood that occupies just one-sixth of the Old City. The root of the current dispute dates back nearly five years when, in March 2020, the Armenian Patriarchate signed an agreement with the Municipality of Jerusalem to make a parking lot with 90 spaces for Jewish Quarter residents and the rest for the Armenian Quarter residents. The following year, the Patriarchate agreed to a 98-year lease for 25 percent of the Armenian Quarter’s land to Xana Gardens, a joint Israeli-Emirati company. The leased area would include the Cows’ Garden, the Patriarchate’s private parking area and garden, Alex & Mary Manougian seminary hall, five residential homes, and a portion of the Patriarchate’s building. The deal outraged Armenians, in Jerusalem and beyond. While it might be legal under Israeli law, there were several procedural problems on the Armenian side. The Patriarchate signed the lease without community knowledge and acted absent the approval of the Holy Synod, the Patriarchate’s executive body. Xana Gardens might say they had a signature from the Patriarchate, but it was a deal akin to a greeter at Home Depot selling the store absent the knowledge of its manager or owner. The Patriarchate’s bylaws require strict approvals for leases between 25 and 49 years and forbid any leases greater than 49 years. In February 2024, Jerusalem’s Armenian community filed a lawsuit in the Jerusalem District Court, arguing that the lease is unlawful, both because the property was a religious endowment and because the Patriarchate lacked the authority to approve the sale. In September 2024, Xana Gardens filed a counterclaim against the Armenian community, and the court scheduled a trial for September 2025. The tension in the meantime has escalated repeatedly into violence between Armenians and Israeli Jews. Israeli Jews may celebrate consolidation of control over the Old City after so many pogroms and Ottoman and Jordanian ethnic cleansing, but the Armenians were not the perpetrators of these actions. The Israeli courts should void the lease not only for legal reasons, but for diplomatic and moral ones as well. If the Jerusalem Municipality accepts signatures from unqualified parties on lease deals and land sales, then it is only a matter of time before disreputable individuals without true authority over the structures in which they live will use the precedent to sell property to others. Diplomatically, states hostile to Jews would be happy to use the precedent to extort Jews to vacate their properties in Arab countries, Turkey, and Iran, or in West Bank cities like Hebron and Nablus. Irish and Norwegian anti-Semites might relish the opportunity to force the sales of synagogues and Jewish community centers. Israeli Jews may celebrate consolidation of control over the Old City after so many pogroms and Ottoman and Jordanian ethnic cleansing, but the Armenians were not the perpetrators of these actions and so should not pay the price for what Arabs or Turks did to the Jews of the Old City. Across the Middle East, Christians are under threat. Only in Israel does the community thrive. As the Islamic Republic of Iran represses minorities directly and by proxy, as Turkey alongside Azerbaijan promotes renewed genocide against Armenians, as Turkey-backed Islamists in Syria threaten the Armenian community of Aleppo, and as other Arab states like Egypt museumify religious minorities, Israel should stand firm in solidarity with Christians under fire. The Jewish state should be confident enough in its legitimacy, sovereignty, and moral high ground to celebrate the Old City’s diversity, rather than undertake any actions that could endanger it. Israel’s policy should be that the Armenian Quarter should remain Armenian, no ifs, ands, or buts. https://www.meforum.org/mef-observer/israel-should-leave-jerusalems-armenian-quarter-to-the-armenians Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yervant1 Posted February 20, 2025 Report Share Posted February 20, 2025 Jerusalem Post Feb 19 2025 Woman attacked in Armenian quarter of Jerusalem's Old City By JERUSALEM POST STAFF A woman in her 50s was attacked in the Armenian Quarter of Jerusalem's Old City, Magen David Adom announced on Wednesday evening. She is conscious, with injuries to her hand and head, according to the MDA statement. https://www.jpost.com/breaking-news/article-842898 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yervant1 Posted February 20, 2025 Report Share Posted February 20, 2025 Press TV, Iran Feb 19 2025 'Existential threat': Israel to seize, auction Armenian properties in al-Quds The Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) says the centuries-old community of Armenian Christians in the Old City of al-Quds is facing an existential threat as the Israeli regime attempts to forcibly expropriate their properties. Anca made the remarks in a post on X on Wednesday, saying “Israel is set to tax, seize and auction off properties that have been owned for centuries" by Armenian Christian Patriarchate in al-Quds. “This illegal action represents a direct threat to the survival of the 1,700+ year old Armenian Christian Quarter and all the diverse faith-based communities" of the holy city, it added. The Armenian Patriarchate in al-Quds has issued an urgent statement, calling on Israeli authorities to intervene immediately to prevent the foreclosure process on its properties and protect the Christian presence in the city. The Patriarchate is now facing a legal dispute over an alleged municipal tax debt from 1994. It argues that the debt was imposed arbitrarily by a municipal official without proper legal proceedings. Despite multiple petitions, the municipality in al-Quds has ignored due process and refused to review the validity of the claim. If the foreclosure moves forward, it could set a dangerous precedent, potentially threatening other Christian religious institutions in the occupied territories. The move is also seen as unjust, given that the municipality itself owes the Patriarchate millions in unpaid rent. The issue was initially meant to be resolved through a committee established under Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu in 2018, but the municipality has proceeded unilaterally. The Patriarchate is located in the Old City of al-Quds in the Armenian Quarter which comprises one-sixth of the old city and occupies the entire southwest corner of the town. Members of the small minority community of Armenians in al-Quds say they are fearful about their future in the holy city, as Israeli settlers continue to vandalize cemeteries and places of worship, with the support of the occupying regime. Since the most right-wing Israeli cabinet came to power in 2022, incidents against Christians in al-Quds have reportedly become more violent and common. At the beginning of 2023, 30 Christian graves at the Protestant Mount Zion Cemetery were desecrated. In the Armenian Quarter, vandals spray-painted “Death to Arabs, Christians and Armenians,” on the walls. Victims of these incidents say the Israeli police do little to arrest and punish the attackers most of the time. https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2025/02/19/743096/Palestine-Israel-ANCA-Armenian-Christians-al-Quds-face-threat-municipality-foreclosure-properties-tax-seize Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yervant1 Posted February 20, 2025 Report Share Posted February 20, 2025 Jerusalem Patriarchate Feb 19 2025 Patriarchs and Heads of Churches in Jerusalem Condemn Unjust Foreclosure Against Armenian Patriarchate, Urge Immediate Intervention Jerusalem – February 19, 2025 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled.” (Matthew 5:6) With great concern, we, the Patriarchs and Heads of the Churches in Jerusalem, stand in steadfast solidarity with the Orthodox Armenian Patriarchate in Jerusalem in its pursuit of justice against an unjust foreclosure order issued by the Municipality of Jerusalem. The actions taken against the Arminian Patriarchate, based on an unverified and exorbitant Arnona Tax debt, are legally dubious and morally unacceptable. It is inconceivable that Christian institutions, whose mission for centuries has been to safeguard faith, serve communities, and preserve the sacred heritage of the Holy Land, should now face the threat of property seizure under Israeli administrative measures that disregard due process. Particularly alarming is the municipality’s attempt to enforce a debt determination without judicial scrutiny, and in defiance of the governmental committee established to negotiate such matters in good faith. This reckless move jeopardizes the Orthodox Armenian Patriarchate and sets a perilous precedent that could imperil Christian institutions throughout the Holy Land. This action undermines the freedom of religion, which is the foundation of all other rights, since through a confiscation of assets, attempts to the right of existence of the Orthodox Armenian Church, depriving it of the necessary economic resources to live and operate and depriving the local Armenian people of the pastoral care of their Church. “If one member suffers, all suffer together” (1 Corinthians 12:26). The targeting of one Church is an assault on all, and we cannot remain silent while the foundations of our Christian witness in the land of Christ’s ministry are shaken. We call upon Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Interior Minister Moshe Arbel, and Minister Tzachi Hanegbi to immediately intervene, freeze all foreclosure proceedings, and ensure that negotiations resume within the above-mentioned governmental committee in order to reach to an amicable solution regarding this issue in the spirit of justice. May righteousness prevail, and may the Holy Land remain a beacon of faith for generations to come. +The Patriarchs and Heads of the Churches in Jerusalem+ https://en.jerusalem-patriarchate.info/announcements/patriarchs-and-heads-of-churches-in-jerusalem-condemn-unjust-foreclosure-against-armenian-patriarchate-urge-immediate-intervention/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yervant1 Posted February 20, 2025 Report Share Posted February 20, 2025 Asbarez.com Jerusalem Patriarchate Sounds Alarm of Imminent Property Foreclosure by Asbarez Staff February 19, 2025 in Featured Story, Latest, News, Top Stories The Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem Secretary of State Marco Rubio Attends Mass at Armenian Church The Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem faces imminent foreclosure of its historic properties over a disputed municipal tax debt that the government is alleging has accrued since 1994. If the court rejects the Patriarchate’s appeal on February 24, 2025, the Municipality will seize and auction Armenian Church properties it has owned for centuries. “If, God forbid, the Patriarchate’s petition is denied, the Jerusalem Municipality will seize real estate properties belonging to the Patriarchate and put them up for auction in order to collect allegedly disputed debts that have never been proven in judicial proceedings, and through customary practices heretofore, have never been enforced,” the Patriarchate said in an urgent statement. “This is a clear attempt by the Municipality to undermine the Armenian Patriarchate through singling it out with economic pressure, with the aim of diminishing its presence in the Holy Land,” said the Armenian Patriarchate. “This could have a profoundly negative impact on the overall Christian presence in the Holy Land, as well as on the religious, cultural, educational and ministerial activities of all Christian institutions currently operating in the region,” the statement added. “The conduct of the Jerusalem Municipality in this matter is especially inappropriate, as it initiated this aggressive process despite the Municipality itself owing the Patriarchate millions of shekels in overdue rental fees. However, the Patriarchate has refrained from taking legal action to enforce payment and, instead, has been engaged in prolonged negotiations with the Municipality in an effort to resolve the debt amicably,” the statement said. “Filing against the Armenian Patriarchate in the execution office, forcing it to pay the alleged Arnona (Municipal tax) debt, and, even more so, proceeding with the foreclosure of its properties, could jeopardize the Armenian Patriarchate’s long-standing mission in the Holy Land, which has been active since the 7th century. Furthermore, it could threaten the continued presence of the Armenian community in the Holy Land, which dates back to the 4th century,” the Patriarchate noted. The Patriarchate called on the Prime Minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, the Interior Minister, Moshe Arbel, and the head of the governmental committee, Tzachi Hanegbi, to intervene decisively and immediately freeze all actions taken by the Municipality against the Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem. Secretary of State Marco Rubio flanked by Armenian clergy at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem on Feb. 16 “We also urge them to resume the meetings of this governmental committee in order to find an amicable resolution to this issue, solely through negotiation within the framework established by the committee,” the Patriarchate concluded. It should be noted that during his visit to the Middle East, Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Sunday paid a visit to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher and attended Mass at the church’s Catholic pavilion. According to reports, Rubio was greeted at the church by the Armenian Patriarchate’s Chancellor Very Reverend Aghan Gogchyan and former head cleric of the church, Reverend Samuel Aghoian. “We raised concerns about the presence of Christians in Israel and their potential departure. The Secretary of State noted that many Christians, including Armenians, have already left Syria, Lebanon, and other Middle Eastern countries, and that the U.S. will do everything to ensure that the Christian presence in Israel remains stable, preventing a repetition of what happened in those countries,” Gogchyan said in a statement. https://asbarez.com/jerusalem-patriarchate-sounds-alarm-of-imminent-property-foreclosure/?fbclid=IwY2xjawIjR_FleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHRsrfvolixN9JWt3ehF5ETPok1MeR05UQsv_ev2JdoWgk3OH3gyXn4zBsw_aem_lBZXU4WSCxlWKFdnkbDl3w Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yervant1 Posted February 21, 2025 Report Share Posted February 21, 2025 Palestine Chronicle Feb 20 2025 Armenian Patriarchate Warns of Israeli Threat to Seize Properties in East Jerusalem By Palestine Chronicle Staff “It will also establish a dangerous legal precedent that could legitimize the expropriation of property rights and the involuntary liquidation of assets belonging to the Christian religious institutions and communities in Israel.” The Armenian Patriarchate in East Jerusalem warned on Wednesday that Israel intended to confiscate its properties in the occupied city, claiming that it has accrued debts since 1994. “The hearing for the administrative petition filed by the Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem is set for Monday, February 24, 2025,” the Patriarchate said in a statement this week. It explained that the petition was filed “as an attempt to stop the foreclosure process against real estate properties that the Patriarchate has owned for centuries, so as to collect Arnona (Municipal Tax) debts that have allegedly accrued since 1994.” “If, God forbidding, the Patriarchate’s petition is denied, the Jerusalem Municipality will seize real estate properties belonging to the Patriarchate and put them up for auction in order to collect allegedly disputed debts that have never been proven in judicial proceedings, and through customary practices heretofore, have never been enforced,” the statement noted. ‘Plaintiff, Judge and Executioner’ The statement further noted that the petition was aimed “at the actions of the collection officer,” an employee of the Jerusalem Municipality “who has ‘determined’ that the Patriarchate owes an astronomical debt, without regard for the statute of limitations, and without providing clear identification of the basis for the alleged debt.” Furthermore, “a significant portion” of the alleged debt relates to a property that is actually leased to the municipality itself, said the statement. “The same municipal employee refuses to review the validity of the debt he himself determined, citing formal-procedural grounds that the deadline for objection has passed,” added the religious authority. This is so, even though the Patriarchate demonstrated that “the claims were not properly delivered” to it within the required time frame. “In other words, the municipal employee acts as the plaintiff, the judge, and the executor, all in one, serving the interests of his employer – the Municipality,” said the statement. The foreclosure proceedings were temporarily suspended upon the filing of the petition. However, the Patriarchate warned that should the petition be denied, the Municipality will be permitted to “immediately resume” the seizure of specific properties. ‘Dangerous Legal Precedent’ “It will also establish a dangerous legal precedent that could legitimize the expropriation of property rights and the involuntary liquidation of assets belonging to the Christian religious institutions and communities in Israel,” said the statement. “This would result in far greater harm to the property owners than the amount of the alleged disputed debts,” it added. “To the best of our knowledge, the Armenian Patriarchate is the only Christian community chosen — and perhaps targeted — to face such unprecedented and irreversible measures due to the alleged Arnona debt,” the statement continued. It said that the conduct of the municipality was “especially inappropriate” considering the municipality itself “owing the Patriarchate millions of shekels in overdue rental fees.” “Filing against the Armenian Patriarchate in the execution office, forcing it to pay the alleged Arnona debt, and, even more so, proceeding with the foreclosure of its properties, could jeopardize” the authority’s “long-standing mission in the Holy Land, which has been active since the 7th century,” the statement noted. Appeal to Netanyahu It could also “threaten the continued existence of the Armenian community in the Holy Land, which dates back to the 4th century.” It said the municipality’s action was “a clear attempt” to “undermine” the Patriarchate by “singling it out with economic pressure, with the aim of diminishing its presence in the Holy Land.” The Patriarchate called upon Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the Interior Minister Moshe Arbel, and the head of the governmental committee, Tzachi Hanegbi, “to intervene decisively and immediately freeze all actions taken by the Municipality.” “We also urge them to resume the meetings of this governmental committee in order to find an amicable resolution to this issue, solely through negotiation within the framework established by the committee,” the statement concluded. Outcry from Churches In a statement on Wednesday, the Patriarchs and Heads of Local Churches of Jerusalem issued a statement affirming its “steadfast solidarity” with the Armenian Patriarchate “in its pursuit of justice against an unjust foreclosure order.” “This reckless move jeopardizes the Orthodox Armenian Patriarchate and sets a perilous precedent that could imperil Christian institutions throughout the Holy Land,” the statement added. The Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) also condemned the municipality’s action saying that “Israel is set to tax, seize and auction off properties that have been owned for centuries” by the Armenian Patriarchate in Jerusalem. “This illegal action represents a direct threat to the survival of the 1,700+ year old Armenian Christian Quarter and all the diverse faith-based communities” of the holy city, it added. (The Palestine Chronicle) https://www.palestinechronicle.com/armenian-patriarchate-warns-of-israeli-threat-to-seize-properties-in-east-jerusalem/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yervant1 Posted February 21, 2025 Report Share Posted February 21, 2025 Feb 20 2025 Christian leaders demand Israel stops seizure of Armenian Church land Major Christian denominations condemned the Jerusalem Municipality's attempts to seize the Armenian Patriarchate's property and called on Netanyahu to step in. Christian leaders in Jerusalem are calling on the Israeli government to prevent the city's authorities from seizing property owned by the Armenian Patriarchate, a move which they say threatens the centuries-old presence of Christian institutions throughout the Holy Land. In a letter to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the head of the Patriarchate Nourhan Manougian called for church property to be protected from the Jerusalem Municipality, which is attempting to seize assets for what it claims are three decades of unpaid taxes. The Patriarchate has denied owing taxes to the authority and filed a legal petition to prevent the confiscation of property it has owned for hundreds of years. "This is a clear attempt by the Municipality to undermine the Armenian Patriarchate through singling it out with economic pressure, with the aim of diminishing its presence in the Holy Land," it said in a statement on Tuesday. If the petition is denied, it will establish a "dangerous legal precedent" that will legitimise the seizure of assets belonging to Christian institutions. A hearing on the patriarchate's petition will be held on 24 February. The Catholic and Greek Orthodox churches joined with the Armenian Patriarchate to condemn what they called the municipality's "legally dubious and morally unacceptable" actions and demanded the Israeli government step in. "It is inconceivable that Christian institutions, whose mission for centuries has been to safeguard faith, serve communities, and preserve the sacred heritage of the Holy Land, should now face the threat of property seizure under Israeli administrative measures that disregard due process," the three Christian denominations said in a joint statement. This is the latest development in a long-running stand-off between Christians and Israeli authorities, which for years have threatened to unwind the centuries-old property tax, or 'Arnona', exemption enjoyed by churches. Following protests, the Israeli government suspended legislation in 2018 that would have allowed municipalities to confiscate property if churches didn't pay millions in backdated taxes, and set up a committee to negotiate the matter. In 2024, several municipalities threatened to take legal action against the churches if they did not pay the alleged tax debts, leading Christian leaders to accuse Israeli authorities of a “coordinated attack” on their presence. "Particularly alarming is the municipality's attempt to enforce a debt determination without judicial scrutiny, and in defiance of the governmental committee established to negotiate such matters in good faith," the patriarchs said in the statement. "This reckless move jeopardises the Orthodox Armenian Patriarchate and sets a perilous precedent that could imperil Christian institutions throughout the Holy Land." Christian minorities in Israel and the occupied territories have faced increased hostility from Jewish ultranationalists since the election of the current far-right government in 2023, with attacks on Armenian people and church property rising. The community is also under threat from a secret land lease agreement with a Jewish developer, who wants to build a luxury hotel in the middle of the city's Armenian Quarter. Armenian Christians have lived in Jerusalem for 1,700 years, making it the Christian community with the longest uninterrupted presence in the city. https://www.newarab.com/news/jerusalem-churches-demand-israel-halt-armenian-property-grab Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yervant1 Posted February 21, 2025 Report Share Posted February 21, 2025 World Council of Churches Feb 20 2025 WCC stands in solidarity with the Armenian Patriarchate in Jerusalem The World Council of Churches (WCC) stands in solidarity with the Armenian Patriarchate in Jerusalem in the face of an unjust foreclosure order issued by the Municipality of Jerusalem, said Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay, WCC general secretary. “We denounce this act as a blatant attack on religious freedom and an alarming violation of the historic Status Quo that governs the Holy Sites of Jerusalem,” he said. “For centuries, the Armenian Patriarchate, alongside other Christian institutions, has safeguarded the sacred heritage of the Holy Land, serving as a beacon of faith, community service, and justice.” Pillay added that the coercive measures taken against the Patriarchate constitute not only a legal and moral travesty but also a dangerous precedent that threatens all Christian institutions in Jerusalem. “This reckless action is part of a wider pattern of increasing pressures, land disputes, and acts of intimidation targeting Christian communities in the Holy City—acts that the WCC has repeatedly condemned,” he said. “We call upon the Israeli government to immediately freeze the foreclosure proceedings and uphold the internationally recognized Status Quo of Jerusalem.” Pillay further urged the international community, including religious and political leaders, to take decisive action to protect the fundamental rights of Christian communities and to ensure that the Holy Land remains a place of worship, peace, and coexistence for all. “The World Council of Churches reaffirms its unwavering commitment to justice and peace in the Holy Land,” he said. “We will continue to advocate, to accompany, and to raise our voice in defense of the sacred heritage and dignity of all people in the Holy Land.” WCC Statement of solidarity with the Armenian Patriarchate in Jerusalem https://www.oikoumene.org/news/wcc-stands-in-solidarity-with-the-armenian-patriarchate-in-jerusalem Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yervant1 Posted February 22, 2025 Report Share Posted February 22, 2025 Jewish News Syndicate Feb 21 2025 Israeli arrested for ax attack on woman in capital’s Armenian Quarter The suspect was arrested at a yeshivah in the Tiberias area. (Feb. 21, 2025 / JNS) A man in his 20s from central Israel was arrested this week by Jerusalem District Police on suspicion of attacking a woman with an ax in her home on Wednesday. On Friday morning, a court extended the suspect’s remand until Feb. 25. He is accused of storming into the woman’s residence in the Armenian Quarter of the Old City and striking her head with the weapon. Following the attack, the suspect allegedly fled on foot and later escaped the area by taxi. The victim sustained moderate wounds and was evacuated to a hospital. Jerusalem District Police officers and Border Police units quickly arrived at the scene and conducted extensive searches for the suspect, and forensic teams collected evidence to aid in identifying him. On Thursday night, officers tracked his escape route, leading to his arrest by Tiberias Police at a yeshivah in northern Israel, where he was hiding. The suspect had attempted to alter his appearance by shaving his beard to evade capture. The investigation revealed that the suspect and the victim were previously acquainted, which led him to enter her home and commit the violent assault. https://www.jns.org/israeli-arrested-for-ax-attack-on-woman-in-capitals-armenian-quarter/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yervant1 Posted February 22, 2025 Report Share Posted February 22, 2025 Orthodox Times Feb 21 2025 Church leaders condemn foreclosure against Armenian Patriarchate, call for urgent intervention The Patriarchs and Heads of Churches in Jerusalem have issued a strong condemnation of an unjust foreclosure order against the Armenian Patriarchate, calling on the Israeli government to immediately intervene and halt the municipality’s actions. In a joint letter, the church leaders expressed deep concern over the decision by the Municipality of Jerusalem to seize property belonging to the Orthodox Armenian Patriarchate based on what they describe as an “unverified and exorbitant Arnona Tax debt”. “Legally Dubious and Morally Unacceptable” “With great concern, we, the Patriarchs and Heads of the Churches in Jerusalem, stand in steadfast solidarity with the Orthodox Armenian Patriarchate in Jerusalem in its pursuit of justice against an unjust foreclosure order issued by the Municipality of Jerusalem. The actions taken against the Armenian Patriarchate, based on an unverified and exorbitant Arnona Tax debt, are legally dubious and morally unacceptable,” the letter states. The Christian leaders denounced the move, stressing that Christian institutions in the Holy Land have, for centuries, played a crucial role in safeguarding faith, serving communities, and preserving sacred heritage. “It is inconceivable that Christian institutions, whose mission for centuries has been to safeguard faith, serve communities, and preserve the sacred heritage of the Holy Land, should now face the threat of property seizure under Israeli administrative measures that disregard due process,” the letter continues. Threat to Religious Freedom and Christian Presence The church leaders expressed particular alarm over the municipality’s attempt to enforce the tax debt without judicial scrutiny and in defiance of a governmental committee established to negotiate such disputes. “This reckless move jeopardizes the Orthodox Armenian Patriarchate and sets a perilous precedent that could imperil Christian institutions throughout the Holy Land,” they warned. The letter further highlights the broader implications of the foreclosure, arguing that the seizure of church property directly threatens the freedom of religion, a fundamental right that underpins all others. “This action undermines the freedom of religion, which is the foundation of all other rights, since through a confiscation of assets, attempts to the right of existence of the Orthodox Armenian Church, depriving it of the necessary economic resources to live and operate and depriving the local Armenian people of the pastoral care of their Church.” A Call for Immediate Government Action Emphasizing the collective nature of the Christian presence in Jerusalem, the church leaders invoked a passage from 1 Corinthians 12:26: “If one member suffers, all suffer together.” They framed the targeting of the Armenian Patriarchate as an assault on all Christian institutions in the Holy Land and called on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Interior Minister Moshe Arbel, and Minister Tzachi Hanegbi to intervene immediately. “We call upon Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Interior Minister Moshe Arbel, and Minister Tzachi Hanegbi to immediately intervene, freeze all foreclosure proceedings, and ensure that negotiations resume within the above-mentioned governmental committee in order to reach an amicable solution regarding this issue in the spirit of justice.” A Plea for Justice and Preservation of Faith The letter concludes with a plea for righteousness to prevail, urging that the Holy Land remains a beacon of faith for future generations. “May righteousness prevail, and may the Holy Land remain a beacon of faith for generations to come.” This latest escalation of tensions between the Christian community and Israeli authorities has raised fears of further pressures on religious institutions in the region. Church leaders and international organizations are now closely monitoring the situation, as calls for justice grow louder. Source: Patriarchate of Jerusalem https://orthodoxtimes.com/church-leaders-condemn-foreclosure-against-armenian-patriarchate-call-for-urgent-intervention/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yervant1 Posted February 22, 2025 Report Share Posted February 22, 2025 Christian News Feb 21 2025 Jerusalem authorities accused of 'blatant attack' on religious freedom over Armenian property threat Fri Feb 21 2025by Donna Birrell The Heads of Churches in Jerusalem and the World Council of Churches (WCC) have accused authorities in Jerusalem of a "blatant attack on religious freedom" over plans to foreclose on the city’s Armenian Patriarchate. The Orthodox Armenian Patriarchate in East Jerusalem warned this week that Israel intended to confiscate its properties, claiming unpaid debts accrued over the last 30 years. Writing on X, the organisation said it had been targeted with "crippling taxes" which were being "unjustly levied". It went on to describe the situation as a "crushing threat" that "can become a precedent set against ALL Christian Communities of Jerusalem". A petition is due to be heard next week. The group warned that if the petition is thrown out, the Jewish Municipality would seize its properties and put them up for auction. The plans are said to pose an "existential threat" to the Armenian Christian Quarter which has had a presence in the Old City for more than 1700 years and which is one of the most historically significant communities in the Holy Land. The Patriarchs and Heads of Local Churches are urging Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to intervene and freeze the foreclosure proceedings. In a statement, they described the move as "reckless" and said it "sets a perilous precedent" that could "imperil Christian institutions throughout the Holy Land". The WCC’s General Secretary Prof Dr Jerry Pillay said it stands in solidarity with the Armenian Patriarchate: “We denounce this act as a blatant attack on religious freedom and an alarming violation of the historic Status Quo that governs the Holy Sites of Jerusalem… “For centuries, the Armenian Patriarchate, alongside other Christian institutions, has safeguarded the sacred heritage of the Holy Land, serving as a beacon of faith, community service, and justice… “This reckless action is part of a wider pattern of increasing pressures, land disputes, and acts of intimidation targeting Christian communities in the Holy City—acts that the WCC has repeatedly condemned,” he said. “We call upon the Israeli government to immediately freeze the foreclosure proceedings and uphold the internationally recognized Status Quo of Jerusalem.” The petition is due to be heard on Monday 24th February. https://premierchristian.news/us/news/article/jerusalem-authorities-accused-of-attack-on-religious-freedom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yervant1 Posted February 23, 2025 Report Share Posted February 23, 2025 Greek City Times Feb 22 2025 Christian Leaders Unite Against Jerusalem’s Attempted Seizure of Armenian Church Land Jerusalem, February 20, 2025 – Leaders of major Christian denominations, including the Armenian, Catholic, and Greek Orthodox churches, have issued a strong condemnation of the Jerusalem Municipality’s attempt to seize property owned by the Armenian Patriarchate. The municipality alleges three decades of unpaid taxes, a claim the Patriarchate refutes, and has initiated legal action to seize the assets. Christian leaders are urging Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to intervene and halt this action. Patriarch Nourhan Manougian of the Armenian Patriarchate has written directly to Netanyahu, requesting protection for church properties. The Patriarchate released a statement Tuesday, asserting that the municipality is deliberately targeting them with economic pressure to diminish their presence in the Holy Land. A court hearing regarding the Patriarchate’s petition against the seizure is scheduled for February 24th. If the municipality’s legal challenge succeeds, it could set a dangerous legal precedent, jeopardizing other Christian-owned properties. The joint statement from the three denominations criticizes the municipality’s actions as both legally questionable and morally reprehensible. They argue that seizing property from Christian institutions, which have served the community and preserved the Holy Land’s heritage for centuries, disregards due process. Furthermore, the leaders express alarm at the municipality’s attempt to bypass judicial review and the established governmental committee intended to negotiate such disputes. This “reckless move,” they warn, threatens not only the Armenian Patriarchate but all Christian institutions in the Holy Land. This latest incident is part of an ongoing struggle between Christian institutions and Israeli authorities regarding property tax exemptions, known as ‘Arnona’. In 2018, following public outcry, the Israeli government suspended legislation aimed at collecting back taxes from churches. However, tensions resurfaced in 2024 when multiple municipalities threatened legal action against churches for alleged outstanding tax debts, sparking accusations of a coordinated attack on their presence. The Armenian Christian community, with an unbroken 1,700-year history in Jerusalem, faces mounting challenges. In addition to the property dispute, they contend with rising hostility from Jewish ultranationalists and a controversial, undisclosed land lease agreement involving a Jewish developer planning to build a luxury hotel within the Armenian Quarter. https://greekcitytimes.com/2025/02/22/christian-leaders-unite-against-jerusalems-attempted-seizure-of-armenian-church-land/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yervant1 Posted February 24, 2025 Report Share Posted February 24, 2025 The Pillar Feb 22 2025 Why the Latin patriarchate is in a fight between Jerusalem and an Orthodox patriarch Edgar Beltrán The patriarchs and heads of Christian churches in Jerusalem published a joint statement Tuesday, condemning the city government’s attempts to seize properties of the Orthodox Armenian Patriarchate — the latest chapter of controversy between Israeli authorities and Christian communities in the region. In the Feb. 18 joint statement, the churches condemned the “unjust foreclosure order issued by the Municipality of Jerusalem. The actions taken against the Armenian Patriarchate, based on an unverified and exorbitant Arnona Tax debt, are legally dubious and morally unacceptable.” The arnona tax is a property tax levied by municipalities in Israel. The tax calculation is based on the size of the property and is one of the main sources of income of Israeli municipalities. Although seemingly a local dispute between one church and a municipal government, rising tensions in Jerusalem have pushed other Christian communities, including the Latin patriarchate to involve itself in the issue, as they fear they might suffer a similar fate. — The Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem is part of the Armenian Apostolic Church, an Oriental Orthodox Church and the largest religion in Armenia, accounting for 97% of the population. In 301, Armenia became the first country in the world to adopt Christianity as an official religion. The Armenian Apostolic Church severed ties with the Catholic Church in 610 after rejecting the Christological formula of the Council of Chalcedon. Like other Oriental Orthodox churches, such as the Coptic Church, it is also not in communion with the Eastern Orthodox churches. Although the Armenian presence in the Holy Land dates back to the fourth century, the patriarchate itself started in the seventh century when the Armenian Apostolic Church started appointing its own patriarchs of Jerusalem, making it the longest uninterrupted Christian community in the Holy Land. Even if it leads a small community of around 6,000 Armenians throughout Israel and Palestine, the patriarchate’s historical presence has left its mark. For example, the patriarchate was the first to open a pilgrim house in Jerusalem in the 1830s and opened the first girls’ school in the Holy Land in the 1860s. It is also credited with making the first pictures in the Holy Land in the late 1800s. The Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem owns a significant number of properties in the Armenian Quarter of Jerusalem. The Armenian Quarter comprises one-sixth of the Old City of Jerusalem, and occupies its entire southwest corner. Historically, the Armenian patriarchate funded itself through pilgrim donations. However, during the Crimean War in the 1850s, the flow of pilgrims stopped, which led to the economic collapse of the community during the war. Patriarch Hovhannes X of Smyrna realized after the war that the community could not be at the mercy of foreign wars for its sustenance. The patriarchate started using pilgrims’ donations to buy and develop properties in the Armenian Quarter, a policy that has continued to this day. — According to the municipal government, the Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem owes a arnona debt accrued since 1994. If a court rejects the patriarchate’s appeal on Feb. 24, the municipality will seize and auction the properties, some of which have been owned by the patriarchate for centuries. “It is inconceivable that Christian institutions, whose mission for centuries has been to safeguard faith, serve communities, and preserve the sacred heritage of the Holy Land, should now face the threat of property seizure under Israeli administrative measures that disregard due process,” the statement adds. Although the dispute involves only the Armenian Orthodox patriarchate, other Christian communities fear they may face a similar fate – in 2018, the municipality tried to enforce a similar debt collection against all Christian churches in the Holy Land, but the push was eventually stopped. According to The National, the Latin patriarchate and other Orthodox patriarchates fear that the current push in the Armenian Quarter could set a precedent that would be applied to other Christian communities in the Holy Land. Moreover, tensions between Christian communities and Israeli authorities have increased because an increase in the number and intensity of attacks against Christians. An Aid to the Church in Need report said that attacks on Christians have increased in Israel since 2023, including a “a worrying increase in severe property and physical assaults” The churches allege that the municipality has not followed due process in its attempts to collect the debt, and intends to proceed with the seizure before a judicial appeal is heard on Feb. 24. “Particularly alarming is the municipality’s attempt to enforce a debt determination without judicial scrutiny, and in defiance of the governmental committee established to negotiate such matters in good faith. This reckless move jeopardizes the Orthodox Armenian Patriarchate and sets a perilous precedent that could imperil Christian institutions throughout the Holy Land,” the statement says. “Through a confiscation of assets, attempts to the right of existence of the Orthodox Armenian Church, depriving it of the necessary economic resources to live and operate and depriving the local Armenian people of the pastoral care of their Church,” it adds. The statement called upon the Israeli government to “immediately intervene, freeze all foreclosure proceedings, and ensure that negotiations resume within the above-mentioned governmental committee in order to reach an amicable solution regarding this issue in the spirit of justice.” “The targeting of one Church is an assault on all, and we cannot remain silent while the foundations of our Christian witness in the land of Christ’s ministry are shaken.” In a separate Feb. 18 statement, the patriarchate said that “If, God forbidding, the patriarchate’s petition is denied, the Jerusalem municipality will seize real estate properties belonging to the Patriarchate and put them up for auction in order to collect allegedly disputed debts that have never been proven in judicial proceedings, and through customary practices heretofore, have never been enforced.” The patriarchate itself alleged that the municipality actually owes it a significant amount of money in rental fees. “The conduct of the Jerusalem Municipality in this matter is especially inappropriate, as it initiated this aggressive process despite the municipality itself owing the patriarchate millions of shekels in overdue rental fees. However, the patriarchate has refrained from taking legal action to enforce payment and, instead, has been engaged in prolonged negotiations with the municipality in an effort to resolve the debt amicably.” https://www.pillarcatholic.com/p/why-the-latin-patriarchate-is-in Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yervant1 Posted March 21, 2025 Report Share Posted March 21, 2025 World Council of Churches March 20 2025 Young Armenians with deep roots in Jerusalem work to preserve their land Hagop Djernazian, with other young Armenians from Jerusalem, has just returned from a global US tour that included the cities of New York, Boston, Detroit, Chicago, and Washington, DC. He took time to describe their 10 days of raising awareness to protect Armenian land in Jerusalem. An Israeli settler group has been trying to take over land at the entrance of the Armenian Patriarchate inside Jerusalem’s Old City, known as Cow’s Garden – a piece of land covering 13% of the Armenian quarter, which in turn makes up 14% of the Old City as a whole – and the Armenian community has been steadfast in protecting the property. “We visited Armenian and non-Armenian communities,” said Djernazian. “It was a very successful tour.” Most people with whom they met—which included community leaders, politicians, and churches—were aware of the situation for Armenians in Jerusalem because the media has increased coverage of the issue, particularly during the past couple of years. “Some staffers, congressional representatives, or senators were aware of the issue but there was a good opportunity to share more details,” said Djernazian. “The Armenian communities are raising awareness but also raising funds to pay expenses of legal teams here in Jerusalem.” Djernazian and his team found staffers, senators, and congressional representatives ready to help by appealing to the US State Department and to ambassadors. Already, he added, there have been good developments in the legal case to retain Armenian land in Jerusalem. “As Armenians, we were educated in schools, communities, and churches to stand for our rights, traditions, and culture,” he said. “We have had an uninterrupted presence in Jerusalem for centuries.” Djernazian’s family has served the Armenian Patriarchate for more than 70 years. “I couldn’t stay silent; my roots run deep in Jerusalem and especially in the Armenian Quarter.” He added: “Only through legal action can we maintain our land to survive—so this is what we did. We’re getting ready for a court session in September, and we are working to finalize the strategy,” he said. “We have to continue working on it.” The end goal is the return of the land to its original owners. “I am optimistic, despite the struggle and the cost in different prices whether it’s an emotional, physical, or financial toll,” he said. “You always have to be confident, optimistic, and hopeful.” Working through legal systems The meetings in the US for the young team were scheduled by the Armenian National Committee of America, which advocates for the rights of Armenians. “Everything was planned and scheduled,” said Djernazian. “Our specific ask was to advocate for the rights of not only the Armenian community but the Christian communities in Jerusalem, and also we asked from the different stakeholders on Capitol Hill to be engaged with the Israeli authorities and uphold the property rights of Christian communities in Jerusalem.” The team strongly believes this issue should be solved within the legal systems. “Know the Armenian community is a law-abiding community and this issue should be solved within the framework of the legal system,” he said. The team continues to work with the Armenian National Committee of America, and also attended meetings at the UN with French, Canadian, and Armenian delegations with the hope of raising the issue within the UN committees. “The Armenian Patriarchate has been in Jerusalem for 1,600 years,” said Djernazian. “Our presence in Jerusalem dates back to the fourth century in the places where Christ was born and Christ was crucified. It’s something to be proud of.” Djernazian, who is 24, regularly thinks about his ancestors and why, today, he is so deeply rooted in the Armenian quarter in Jerusalem. “It’s because they were sacrificing,” he said. “The Armenians are stakeholders in the Jerusalem Status Quo arrangement, which is important not only for Christians but all religions.” Damaging the Armenian presence damages Jerusalem as a mosaic for all people, no matter what religion they are, Djernazian added. Djernazian believes that the legal case is a solid one. “Our arguments are very clear,” he said. “What we will be presenting in court is very solid and very strong.” He remains hopeful that the issue will be solved in a fair, transparent way within the legal system, ensuring the rights of future generations. “Our ask and our hope is that all churches—and especially the World Council of Churches and all other communities—would be more active for the preservation of Christian communities in Jerusalem—where everything started,” he said. “Our hope is that they will follow closely on all levels what is happening.” Djernazian recalled the solidarity visit to Cow’s Garden by Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay, general secretary of the World Council of Churches (WCC), back in February 2024. Solidarity visits have also been taking place by the accompaniers from the WCC Ecumenical Accompaniment Programme in Palestine and Israel, whom Djernazian describes as “wonderful people.” https://www.oikoumene.org/news/young-armenians-with-deep-roots-in-jerusalem-work-to-preserve-their-land Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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