Churches Committee warns Israel is seeking to takeover Armenian Quarter in East Jerusalem by force, calls for international intervention

WAFA News Agency, Palestine
Nov 17 2023

JERUSALEM, Friday, (WAFA) – The Higher Presidential Committee for Church Affairs said Israel is trying to control the Armenian neighborhood by force, threats, and intimidation, calling on the international community to intervene to preserve this Christian heritage.

The committee asserted that Israeli forces and settlers are aggressively attempting to seize control of the Armenian Quarter in occupied Jerusalem, utilizing force, intimidation, and threats against its residents. It urgently called upon the international community to intervene in order to safeguard this Christian heritage.

A statement released by the executive member of the PLO and head of this committee, Ramzi Khouri emphasized the relentless harassment faced by Armenian Quarter residents and highlighted recent measures to dismantle walls within the Armenian Orthodox Patriarchate’s private vehicle parking lot.

Khouri affirmed that the Armenian Quarter is an indispensable Armenian and Palestinian heritage, and underscored the unwavering determination of the Palestinian people to resist Israeli pressures, especially the discriminatory measures imposed on Christians and Muslims in Occupied Jerusalem.

The committee’s head called for immediate and decisive international intervention to counter Israeli policies, cease settler provocations, and halt the forced displacement of Palestinians, particularly in the Old City of Jerusalem.

T.R.