Israeli Settlers Threaten Jerusalem's Armenian Community and Cultural Heritage

Threat to Armenian Quarter in Jerusalem

• 🇦🇲 The Armenian community in Jerusalem, present for over 1500 years, is facing potential displacement due to encroaching Israeli settlers.
• 🎯 The core issue involves a significant portion of the Armenian Quarter, known as "Cow's Garden," which is under threat from a controversial land deal.

Secretive Land Deal and Backlash

• 🤝 In July 2021, a secretive lease agreement was signed by Armenian Patriarchate members with Israeli company Zana Gardens Limited for a 98-year term, involving $2 million and annual payments.
• 🏨 The deal's intention was to construct a luxury hotel on the "Cow's Garden" plot, covering about 25% of the Armenian Quarter.
• ⚖️ Following backlash, a Patriarchate member claimed to be duped, and the community initiated a legal challenge in Israeli courts to cancel the deal.

Ongoing Persecution and Attacks

• 🛡️ Members of the 2,000-strong Armenian community have been actively guarding the plot and have faced attacks from armed individuals since the deal was revealed.
• 📈 Reports document a pattern of anti-Christian hate crimes in the occupied territories, with the Armenian Quarter being a frequent target.
• ✍️ These attacks include spitting, verbal abuse, online incitement, vandalism, and trespassing, with graffiti like "death to Christians" appearing on walls.
• 🚨 In June, a group of Israelis allegedly raided the Armenian monastery and other Christian holy sites.

Broader Context of Land Grabs and Propaganda

• 🇵🇸 The situation is framed as part of a larger project to cleanse the area of non-Israeli groups, similar to the experiences of Palestinians.
• 🗣️ The speaker criticizes Israeli propaganda that demonizes Muslims and suggests a similar campaign might be used against Christians to justify violence.
• 🌍 The underlying motive is identified as the theft of property and land, and the importance of not providing cover for injustice against any group is emphasized.