Protect the Armenian Quarter!

The Armenian Quarter is an integral part of the very fabric of Jerusalem. Now, it is under attack.

On November 4, Armenians organizing a peaceful demonstration were confronted by a group of armed Jewish settlers. The violence that ensued ultimately culminated in police intervention. The lease agreement from 2021 between the Armenian Patriarchate and Xana Gardens Ltd, the company that purchased the Armenian Patriarchate property, had been revoked by the Armenian Patriarchate on October 26, 2023, after serious discrepancies and connections to radical settlers came to light. The demonstrators peacefully opposed the construction that continued illegally beyond October 26.

The ...

The Armenian Quarter is an integral part of the very fabric of Jerusalem. Now, it is under attack.

On November 4, Armenians organizing a peaceful demonstration were confronted by a group of armed Jewish settlers. The violence that ensued ultimately culminated in police intervention. The lease agreement from 2021 between the Armenian Patriarchate and Xana Gardens Ltd, the company that purchased the Armenian Patriarchate property, had been revoked by the Armenian Patriarchate on October 26, 2023, after serious discrepancies and connections to radical settlers came to light. The demonstrators peacefully opposed the construction that continued illegally beyond October 26.

The Patriarchate shared on November 6:

“…after the cancellation letter of the 'Armenian Gardens' the party relevant to the canceled contract, instead of giving a legal response, reacted with the demolition of walls, demolition of a parking plot, scraping of asphalt pavements, and threatening to cause much more harm. Yesterday they even brought security guards armed with high powered rifles and tactically trained dogs demanding an evacuation of the Armenian presence in the parking lot.”

Contact your representatives NOW to demand the protection of the Armenian Quarter and Armenian community in Jerusalem.

The need to defend the land and to preserve this section of the Armenian Quarter stems from the effort to protect the identity of the Armenian people, a community that has been historically marginalized and fears extinction. Further, the property in question comprises 13% of the Armenian Quarter; the community fears that losing this land brings them one step closer to erasure. The cultural and historical significance of Armenian presence in Jerusalem should be emphasized; Armenians have been in Jerusalem since the 4th century with the arrival of the first Armenian Christian pilgrims. The Armenian Quarter and its Armenian community is an integral part of Palestinian culture and the very fabric of Jerusalem’s society. It must be protected. The threat extends beyond the Armenian community, affecting the wider Christian community in Jerusalem at risk of displacement and cultural erasure.

The Armenian Patriarchate urges:

“The Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem is under possibly the greatest existential threat of its 16-century history. This existential-territorial threat fully extends to all the Christian communities of Jerusalem … We plead with the entirety of the Christian communities of Jerusalem to stand with the Armenian Patriarchate in these unprecedented times as this is another clear step taken toward the endangerment of the Christian presence in Jerusalem and the Holy Land.”

We stand with our Armenian brothers and sisters in Jerusalem. Protect the Armenian Quarter now!

Read more here:

To Call: fosna.good.go/armenianquarter/call4armenianquarter

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Protect the Armenian Quarter!

The Armenian Quarter is an integral part of the very fabric of Jerusalem. Now, it is under attack.

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Subject:

I stand with the Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem and the wider Armenian community in light of the recent violence in the Armenian Quarter. I am horrified to witness the illegal construction on the Armenian Patriarchate land in East Jerusalem. On November 4, Armenians organizing a peaceful demonstration were confronted by a group of armed Jewish settlers. The violence that ensued ultimately culminated in police intervention.

The lease agreement signed in August 2021 between the Armenian Patriarchate and Xana Gardens Ltd, the company leasing the Armenian Gardens in Old City, Jerusalem, had been revoked by the Armenian Patriarchate on October 26, 2023. The intention was for a Jewish developer to build a luxury hotel on the property, which would affect up to 25% of the Armenian Quarter, ultimately jeopardizing Armenian presence in the city. The demonstrators peacefully opposed the construction that continued illegally beyond October 26.

The Patriarchate shared on November 6:
“…after the cancellation letter of the 'Armenian Gardens' the party relevant to the canceled contract, instead of giving a legal response, reacted with the demolition of walls, demolition of a parking plot, scraping of asphalt pavements, and threatening to cause much more harm. Yesterday they even brought security guards armed with high powered rifles and tactically trained dogs demanding an evacuation of the Armenian presence in the parking lot.”

The need to defend the land and to preserve this section of the Armenian Quarter stems from the effort to protect the identity of the Armenian people, a community that has been historically marginalized and fears extinction. Further, the property in question comprises 13% of the Armenian Quarter; the community fears that losing this land brings them one step closer to erasure. The cultural and historical significance of Armenian presence in Jerusalem should be emphasized; Armenians have been in Jerusalem since the 4th century with the arrival of the first Armenian Christian pilgrims. The Armenian Quarter and its Armenian community is an integral part of Palestinian culture and the very fabric of Jerusalem’s society. It must be protected. The threat extends beyond the Armenian community, affecting the wider Christian community in Jerusalem.

The Armenian Patriarchate urges:
“The Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem is under possibly the greatest existential threat of its 16-century history. This existential-territorial threat fully extends to all the Christian communities of Jerusalem … We plead with the entirety of the Christian communities of Jerusalem to stand with the Armenian Patriarchate in these unprecedented times as this is another clear step taken toward the endangerment of the Christian presence in Jerusalem and the Holy Land.”

We stand with our Armenian brothers and sisters in Jerusalem. Protect the Armenian Quarter now!

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