Israeli Settlers Threaten Armenian Quarter in East Jerusalem
A convoy of Israeli settlers' cars and motorcycles entered the Armenian Quarter in occupied East Jerusalem on November 16 looking to usurp the Armenian-held area, the community has said in a statement. The attempt by armed settlers, backed by Israeli security forces, to occupy almost 25 per cent of the Armenian Quarter is an 'existential threat' to the centuries-old community, the Movement for the Protection and Preservation of the Armenian Quarter informed in a post on Instagram.
Tensions were high and Israeli police "without probable cause" arrested three Armenians, including a minor, while backing Israeli settlers.
"Instead of removing the trespassers, the Israeli police permitted a few settlers to continue their presence intended to possess the Armenian property," the community said in a statement.
The community explains that with Israel's war on Gaza taking much of the world's attention, Israeli settlers in the occupied territories, including the Old City in East Jerusalem, have increasingly used the distraction to press illegal land claims. The movement said that the attempt by Israeli settlers to overrun the "Armenian Gardens" -- known as the "Cows' Garden" in the Old City of Jerusalem, was a "malicious attempt to change facts on the ground."
"We are fighting now for the integrity of the Armenian and Christian quarters," said Hagop Djernazian, a co-founder of the movement to save the Armenian quarter, and member of the Jerusalemite Armenian Community.
The dispute started after the Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem signed a murky and secretive deal with a company named Zana Capital, leasing the historical Armenian Gardens, to build a luxury hotel, he explained.
"We may face an existential threat, not only to the Armenian presence in Jerusalem, but also to the Christian," Djernazian said. "Unfortunately this deal includes manipulations and fraud," he said speaking to Middle East Eye.
The deal would see some 25 per cent of the Armenian quarter sold on a 99-year lease to Israeli settler communities looking to purportedly build a luxury development.
The Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem announced on October 26
that a letter was sent to the companies managing the development
that the deal would be cancelled.
Though signed in 2021, the deal became public in 2023 when one of the Israeli businesses sought to take ownership, sparking protests from the Armenian community. The Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem considered it an existential threat and announced on October 26 that a letter was sent to the companies managing the development that the deal would be cancelled.
"Since October 26, the so-called Zana Company, which turns out was backed by settlers and Ateret Cohanim, a settler organization trying to change the demographic makeup of the Old City into a Jewish majority, are trying to provoke and to take over parts of the land by force," said Djernazian. Israeli settlers had attempted to intimidate the community and the movement to save the Armenian Quarter by, amongst other things, bringing bulldozers and trucks to demolish walls and the land, said Djernazian.
"They brought in armed settlers two weeks ago to take over the land by force using armed settlers and attack dogs," he said. "Yesterday and today the so-called company brought a security company so they can take over the land by force with the support and cooperation of the Israeli police."
The Israeli government which is also comprised of settlers, has created an even more permissive climate for such land grabs.
"Authorities are not doing anything to save and help the Armenian community," said Djernazian, adding that "they are doing the opposite of saving the Armenian community. They are pressuring us."
Djernazian said that they now believe Israeli settlers are behind the deal whereby the land was initially sold to an Australian businessman.
"If we succeed in this struggle to protect the integrity of the Armenian Quarter to protect our lands, we can continue and live in Jerusalem as we did since the fourth century by encouraging our youth to stay here," said Djernazian. "But, unfortunately, if we do not succeed to cancel the deal officially, we may face an existential threat, not only to the Armenian presence in Jerusalem, but also to the Christian presence, because this deal puts the Armenian and Christian quarters in great danger," added Djernazian.
"Christians should unite and join forces with the Armenians in order to protect the status quo and the mosaic of the holy city of Jerusalem and also for us to have a future in this city," he said.
(Middle East Eye, November 16, 2023)
This article was published in
Volume 53 Number 23 - November 2023
Article Link:
https://cpcml.ca/Tmlm2023/Articles/MS53236.HTM
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