JERUSALEM (National Catholic Register) — In the shadow of the war in Gaza, attacks, abuses, and violations by radical groups and sometimes also by law enforcement are taking place and often take a back seat.
A new episode of violence involving a land dispute has shaken the Armenian community in Jerusalem once again.
According to a communique from the Chancellery of the Armenian Apostolic Patriarchate of Jerusalem, on April 3 at about 11 a.m. “an unlawful eviction was initiated by Israeli police on the grounds of the Cows’ Garden” located within the premises of the Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem. The stated purpose of this action was to remove the temporary rooms belonging to guards at the main entrance of the parking lot, but “permits or court orders were not presented.”
The area known as Cows’ Garden is a property located in the southeast corner of the Old City of Jerusalem and constitutes approximately 25% of the Armenian Quarter’s total area. It has long been at the center of a legal dispute after a deal was secretly signed in 2021 between the Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem and the real estate company Xana Gardens, with alleged links to Israeli settler interests, for a 49+49-year lease of the property to build a luxury hotel.
According to the “Save the Armenian Quarter” (ArQ) association — a nonviolent movement created to defend properties of the Armenian Patriarchate and represent the Armenian community — the contract is illegal and jeopardizes the existence of the Armenian community in the Holy Land.
What happened April 3 was a sudden escalation of the conflict due to direct intervention by the police, according to a statement by the ArQ. “Israeli settlers representing Xana Gardens were escorted by the Israeli Police into the Cows’ Garden. … This action blatantly disregards the ongoing legal processes and undermines the established status quo,” the statement said.
