More than 30 armed provocateurs wearing ski masks and some carrying deadly weapons attacked a group of bishops, priests, deacons and other Armenian citizens Thursday morning in the old city of Jerusalemaccording to the Armenian Patriarchate.
“A massive and coordinated physical attack has been launched,” the Patriarchate wrote in an official letter addressed to the police and the Israeli government, seen by the Jerusalem Post. “Several priests, students and native Armenians are seriously injured.”
Police confirmed receiving the letter and said arrests had been made on both sides – on both sides Armenians and Muslims who allegedly carried out the attack. No one has been formally charged, police said.
“There was an unfortunate incident where Arab Muslim men and men from the Armenian community fought in the Old City of Jerusalem,” Jerusalem Deputy Mayor Fleur Hassan-Nahoum told the Post. “Police arrived quickly to separate the parties and arrests were made on both sides.
“The city of Jerusalem will not tolerate any criminal activity, whether religiously motivated or otherwise, and the police will pursue those responsible,” she said.
“Existential threat” to the Armenian Patriarchate
The Patriarchate claimed the attack was a response to its complaint to the Jerusalem District Court regarding the Cow Garden deal, which was officially received on Wednesday.
Last month, the Armenian Patriarchate filed a lawsuit to cancel an agreement reached more than two years ago by the Patriarchate to lease a quarter of the Armenian Quarter to an Australian Jewish developer for 98 years. Once local and international Armenians realized what had happened, they began protesting, including organizing a weekly vigil, to pressure the Patriarchate to cancel the agreement.
The deal became known as the Cows’ Garden Land Deal because the developer planned to build a luxury hotel on the land that is currently a parking lot on land by that name. The developer also planned to demolish several houses and a seminary to build.
The Patriarchate called on the government and police to investigate the attack regarding the trial.
There was no official connection reported yet; However, a source familiar with the matter told the Post that the middleman in the land deal was a Arab Christianand the Armenian community believes that it was he who sent the attackers.
“The existential threat to the Armenian Patriarchate is now a physical reality,” the letter reads. “Armenian clerics in Jerusalem are fighting for their lives against unpunished provocateurs.”
This is a developing story.
