As Israel continues its genocidal enterprise in Gaza and expanding its
settlements in the West Bank, the fate of the Armenian neighborhood of
Jerusalem has remained quiet in the media. If we must focus on the
horror suffered by Gazans and on an immediate ceasefire, these events
mixing capitalism, corruption and Zionist colonialism demonstrate that
the latter also extends to other communities. ---- The Armenian Quarter
has been the heart of the Armenian presence in Jerusalem for 1600 years
despite a population of only a few thousand people. This figure has also
been falling in recent years following the increase in rents, the
arrival of Jewish settlers and Israel's ban on building new buildings there.
In 2021, an Armenian priest reached an agreement, on behalf of the
Patriarchate of the Armenian Church, with a real estate developer of
Jewish origin to sell nearly 25% of the Armenian quarter for an amount
below its value and build a luxury hotel complex. The terms of the
agreement have not been fully communicated to the local population, the
bulk of whom live on properties owned by the Church. Until 2023, the
year when the truth comes out. Inhabited houses but also part of the
Seminary would be affected, endangering the historic Armenian presence
in the city. Given the extremely favorable terms for the developer,
strong suspicions of corruption exist, to the point that the signing
priest had to be exfiltrated to the United States following protests
from residents of the neighborhood. The Patriarchate announced that it
had been deceived by this priest and denounced the agreement, wishing to
cancel it. Legal proceedings are still ongoing.
Taking advantage of the attention given to the start of the Israeli
offensive on Gaza at the end of 2023, the promoter carried out various
intimidations to dislodge the Armenians, calling on Israeli settlers
from the West Bank who came with bulldozers, dogs and weapons to
intimidate the population. Violent clashes have taken place and
bulldozers have already started to destroy part of the land. The
Armenian community, however, mobilized, including barricades and
constant surveillance to prevent further incursions. Which did not
prevent new clashes in December 2023.
A situation reminiscent of Nagorno-Karabakh
If the initial intention of the developer was more aimed at the
exploitation of valuable land, it must be put in context with the call
by many settlers to "Judeize" Jerusalem. The junction of capitalism and
colonialism was therefore made around a common objective: to expel
people of Armenian origin and other non-Jews from Jerusalem despite
their ancient settlement, as when a Greek patriarch ceded land to
far-right Zionist groups in 2005.
While the Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh were expelled from their
ancestral lands by Azerbaijan in 2023 with the military support of the
State of Israel, those who live in Jerusalem are afraid of suffering a
fate similar. We must therefore demand the cancellation of this real
estate agreement which bears the stamp of corruption, restore full
possession of their neighborhood to the people who live there and ensure
the end of Zionist colonization in Jerusalem and Palestine.
Antonin (UCL Marseille)
https://www.unioncommunistelibertaire.org/?Jerusalem-Le-quartier-armenien-l-oublie-de-la-colonisation-Israelienne
_________________________________________
A - I N F O S N E W S S E R V I C E
By, For, and About Anarchists
Send news reports to A-infos-en mailing list
A-infos-en@ainfos.ca
settlements in the West Bank, the fate of the Armenian neighborhood of
Jerusalem has remained quiet in the media. If we must focus on the
horror suffered by Gazans and on an immediate ceasefire, these events
mixing capitalism, corruption and Zionist colonialism demonstrate that
the latter also extends to other communities. ---- The Armenian Quarter
has been the heart of the Armenian presence in Jerusalem for 1600 years
despite a population of only a few thousand people. This figure has also
been falling in recent years following the increase in rents, the
arrival of Jewish settlers and Israel's ban on building new buildings there.
In 2021, an Armenian priest reached an agreement, on behalf of the
Patriarchate of the Armenian Church, with a real estate developer of
Jewish origin to sell nearly 25% of the Armenian quarter for an amount
below its value and build a luxury hotel complex. The terms of the
agreement have not been fully communicated to the local population, the
bulk of whom live on properties owned by the Church. Until 2023, the
year when the truth comes out. Inhabited houses but also part of the
Seminary would be affected, endangering the historic Armenian presence
in the city. Given the extremely favorable terms for the developer,
strong suspicions of corruption exist, to the point that the signing
priest had to be exfiltrated to the United States following protests
from residents of the neighborhood. The Patriarchate announced that it
had been deceived by this priest and denounced the agreement, wishing to
cancel it. Legal proceedings are still ongoing.
Taking advantage of the attention given to the start of the Israeli
offensive on Gaza at the end of 2023, the promoter carried out various
intimidations to dislodge the Armenians, calling on Israeli settlers
from the West Bank who came with bulldozers, dogs and weapons to
intimidate the population. Violent clashes have taken place and
bulldozers have already started to destroy part of the land. The
Armenian community, however, mobilized, including barricades and
constant surveillance to prevent further incursions. Which did not
prevent new clashes in December 2023.
A situation reminiscent of Nagorno-Karabakh
If the initial intention of the developer was more aimed at the
exploitation of valuable land, it must be put in context with the call
by many settlers to "Judeize" Jerusalem. The junction of capitalism and
colonialism was therefore made around a common objective: to expel
people of Armenian origin and other non-Jews from Jerusalem despite
their ancient settlement, as when a Greek patriarch ceded land to
far-right Zionist groups in 2005.
While the Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh were expelled from their
ancestral lands by Azerbaijan in 2023 with the military support of the
State of Israel, those who live in Jerusalem are afraid of suffering a
fate similar. We must therefore demand the cancellation of this real
estate agreement which bears the stamp of corruption, restore full
possession of their neighborhood to the people who live there and ensure
the end of Zionist colonization in Jerusalem and Palestine.
Antonin (UCL Marseille)
https://www.unioncommunistelibertaire.org/?Jerusalem-Le-quartier-armenien-l-oublie-de-la-colonisation-Israelienne
_________________________________________
A - I N F O S N E W S S E R V I C E
By, For, and About Anarchists
Send news reports to A-infos-en mailing list
A-infos-en@ainfos.ca
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