Lemkin Institute calls on Israel to stop assaults on Armenian Quarter  in Jerusalem 

ArmInfo. Below is a statement by the Lemkin Institute for Genocide Prevention on the recent assault  on and incursion into the Armenian Quarter in Jerusalem by Israeli police and settlers. The statement reads: 

"The Lemkin Institute is dismayed by the recent assault on and  incursion into the Armenian Quarter in Jerusalem by Israeli police  and settlers. In January 2024, the Lemkin Institute published a  statement condemning the attack on the Armenian Quarter in East  Jerusalem by armed mobs associated with an Israeli-Australian  businessman, Danny Rubenstein.

"This recent assault follows the Israeli state's repeated attempts to  evict indigenous Armenians from the Quarter. Amid the ongoing  provocations by Azerbaijan against the Republic of Armenia in the  South Caucasus, this attack represents another effort to compromise  Armenian autonomy and sovereignty. The disturbing level of  Armenophobia present in genocidal regimes from Azerbaijan to Israel  is alarming and places Armenians in a state of constant peril.

"Expansive settler raids and government demolitions have  characterized Israel's posture toward Palestinians in the West Bank  and Jerusalem, The Armenian Quarter in the Old City has not been  spared.  The Armenian community in Jerusalem, specifically the  Patriarchate, acts as a crucial custodian of Christian holy sites in  the city, representing both Christian and Armenian culture in  Jerusalem. Attempts to buy land at the heart of the Quarter mirror a  past scandal involving the Greek Orthodox Church, in which the Church  sold two Palestinian-run hotels to foreign companies acting as a  front for Jewish settlers. The sale generated uproar and concern  around the globe, resulting in the ousting of the Greek Orthodox  Patriarch Irenaios I.

"We highlight that the 1,600-year-old Armenian community residing in  the historic Armenian Quarter of Jerusalem has been embroiled in a  tense standoff against armed settlers since last summer. The conflict  escalated following the revelation that the Armenian Patriarchate of  Jerusalem had struck a previously undisclosed land lease deal with  Xana Gardens, a real estate company allegedly associated with settler  interests, to develop a luxury hotel in the "Cows' Garden" area,  which encompasses crucial parts of the Armenian Quarter. The  community, already grappling with a significant decline in population  over the years, reacted with outrage upon learning about the details  of the deal.

"On 26 October 2023, the leader of the Armenian Patriarchate of  Jerusalem announced the cancellation of the land lease deal. Yet,  tensions at the Cows' Garden continue to remain high. Representatives  from Xana Gardens have sent contractors, armed settlers, and  bulldozers to seize the land - which, along with the parking lot,  includes Armenian Church property and the homes of the Nalbandian  family as well as four others. These provocations have led to  numerous confrontations, including altercations between armed  settlers and Armenian residents. For months, Armenian community  members in Jerusalem have peacefully camped in the Cows' Garden to  protect the Armenian Quarter from settler incursions. The peaceful  protestors have often been met with violent force by Israeli settlers  and police, with Armenians frequently being injured or arrested. In  February, the Armenian community of Jerusalem officially launched a  lawsuit to invalidate the real estate deal negotiated by the  Patriarch.

"Wednesday's assault took place at 11am with an incursion by Israeli  police and settlers into the Cows' Garden. No permits or court orders  were shown. Subsequently, there were illegal evictions and damage  inflicted on Armenian Patriarchate assets, as well as attacks  targeting religious figures and native Armenians. Assaf Harel was the  commanding officer overseeing the eviction.

"The Armenian community, deeply rooted in the Old City for centuries,  sees the attempted land takeover as an existential threat to its  cultural heritage and identity. Residents fear that losing control  over the Cows' Garden area would jeopardize their homes and undermine  the historical significance of the Armenian Quarter, which has served  as a refuge for Armenians for centuries.

"The Armenian community's determination to safeguard its land and  heritage has garnered widespread local and international support. In  response to ongoing demolition attempts and intimidation tactics by  Xana Gardens and its associates, the Armenian residents have  demonstrated remarkable resilience and solidarity while organizing  protests, maintaining a constant presence in the disputed area, and  refusing to back down despite facing arrests and threats from Israeli  authorities and settlers.

"We at the Lemkin Institute call for the protection of historically  and culturally Armenian land and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem.  The continued effort to dispossess the Armenian community from their  ancestral and historic lands in Jerusalem is fueled by the same  eliminationist and settler-colonial process we see throughout the  West Bank. The Lemkin Institute calls on Israeli courts to  immediately invalidate any deal between the Armenian Patriarchate and  Xana Gardens. Further, we demand the Israeli authorities respect the  minority rights of Armenians and Christians throughout Jerusalem, the  West Bank, and Israel.  Whether the targets are Palestinian Muslims  or Armenian Christians, Israel must cease all efforts to expand  Jewish settlements at the expense of non-Jews and commit to the  protection of all peoples and faiths throughout the region."