The Armenian Quarter: Stuck Between Israel and Palestine
By Evan Ploeckelman / Arab America Contributing Writer
The Armenian Quarter is the quarter of Jerusalem that does not seem to fit alongside the Muslim, Jewish, and Christian quarters. However, it has been an integral part of Jerusalem for centuries, and still plays a role in the conflict between Palestine and Israel.
History of Armenians in Jerusalem
Armenians first began settling in Jerusalem in the 4th century, mostly as monks at recently restored Christian sites. While other groups of Christians began settling in Jerusalem as well, the Armenians remained a distinct community in the city due to their unique cultural origin compared to the Palestinian, Greek, and Roman Christians. Furthermore, their rejection of the Fourth Ecumenical Council and the establishment of the Armenian Orthodox church, a branch of Oriental Orthodoxy, separated them from Catholic Christians. This put them at odds with the Byzantines, who often persecuted them. It was not until the Rashidun Caliphate captured Jerusalem that an Armenian Patriarch, or leader of the Armenian church, was formally accepted, in this case by the Caliph Umar. This cemented the Armenians as an integral part of Jerusalem.
Throughout the subsequent centuries, there were around 100-700 Armenian families in the quarter at any given time. This increased significantly after the Armenian Genocide, but declined shortly after as many left for the US, Lebanon, or the newly formed Soviet Armenia. This decrease continued throughout the next century during the 1948 and 1967 wars. Current estimates show that around 500-600 Armenians live in the Armenian quarter out of the roughly 2,000 Armenian still living in Jerusalem.
Armenian-Israeli Relations
However, a majority of Armenians living in the Armenian quarter and greater Jerusalem are not citizens of Israel. After Jerusalem was taken by Israel in 1967, the Armenians living in the Armenian quarter became legally Palestinian. As such, they face the same discrimination other Palestinians face, such as in healthcare, which they must pay for as if they were tourists. Certain projects in the quarter, such as a memorial to the Armenian Genocide, have been repeatedly slighted despite fulfilling all necessary requirements. Additionally, there has been a consistent stream of Jewish settlers moving in from the Jewish Quarter, who see the quarter as a convenient location between the Jewish Quarter and the rest of Jerusalem. Recent estimates suggest the percentage of the Armenian Quarter that is Jewish is approaching 20%.
There have also been cases of violence for years against Armenians by Israelis. Back in 2010 and 2011, spitting attacks against Armenians clergymen by ultra-orthodox Jewish Israelis increased extensively. When brought to the police, they did little to stop these attacks. On May 18, 2021, a group of young Israeli men attacked a clergyman in the Armenian Quarter, who was later brought to the hospital as a result of his injuries. The Armenian Patriarchate said in a press release that it “strictly condemns the attack on Very Reverend Father Arbag Sarukhanyan by young Jews in the middle of the night, when Fr. Arbag was heading to the Holy Sepulchre Church.”
Armenian-Palestinian Relations
While it may seem that Armenians would support Palestinians in general, seeing as they have the same legal status, it is not entirely that simple. The Armenians have a different language, culture, and religion than the general Palestinian. This means that Armenians tend to side with other Christians in Jerusalem on important issues, whether they be Palestinian Christians or foreign Christians. In fact, the Armenian, Greek Orthodox, and Latin patriarchs of Jerusalem have stated that they consider the interests of their communities to be the same: “We regard the Christian and Armenian Quarters of the Old City as inseparable and contiguous entities that are firmly united by the same faith.”
Additionally, the PLO does not always serve the needs of the Armenians. This has sometimes forced Armenians to work with the Israeli government to get municipal projects done, such as a new parking lot for the Armenian Quarter (which would inevitably double as a parking lot for the Jewish Quarter). Furthermore, fringe groups of Palestinian muslims hold unfavorable views toward the Armenian Christians, and there have been some cases of muslims threatening Armenians in the Armenian Quarter.
The Current State of Armenians in Jerusalem
The Armenians of Jerusalem are currently caught between two groups with which they do not completely identify. On the one hand, the Israeli government wants to remove Armenian influence from the Quarter to make Jerusalem entirely Jewish. Furthermore, there is some anti-Armenian sentiment among Israelis, as shown in recent attacks. Furthermore, Israel did not support Armenia in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, who many Armenians support. This continues to divide the two communities.
On the other hand, while the PLO does recognize the right of Armenians to exist in Jerusalem and does support them against Israelis, they often do not get tangible support from the PLO. Furthermore, there are still significant cultural, linguistic, and religious differences between the two groups. This makes finding common ground difficult at times.
Despite these tensions, Armenians in Jerusalem will have to work with Palestinians and the PLO due to the status of Armenians as Palestinian. While the fate of the Armenian Quarter may not be as high profile as what is happening in other parts of Jerusalem, its fate is intertwined with the rest of the Palestinians in Jerusalem, along with the individual Muslim and Christian communities.
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