Jerusalem Christians have united in response to a disputed land deal that poses a threat to the longstanding Armenian presence in the Old City. The heads of various Christian Churches issued a joint appeal, expressing concern that the deal, involving the lease of approximately twenty-five percent of the Armenian district for a luxury hotel, could jeopardize the centuries-old Armenian community in the area.

The agreement was signed by the leader of the Armenian Church in Jerusalem in July 2021, Reuters reports. However, it came as a surprise to members of the community, who only became aware of it when surveyors began work this year. The head of the church informed his congregation that he was deceived and started legal proceedings to nullify the contract. The priest who brokered the accord on his behalf was reportedly defrocked by the Church Synod in May and has since departed from Jerusalem.

Despite legal challenges, construction activities, including the tearing up of a car park on the contested land, commenced last week. When protesters intervened, armed Israeli Jewish settlers reportedly attempted to disperse the demonstration unsuccessfully. Christian leaders, including those from the Greek Orthodox and Roman Catholic Churches, warned that such provocations could undermine the Christian presence in the Holy Land.

The Armenian community alleges that the investor behind the land lease is Australian-Israeli businessman Danny Rubinstein, the owner of Xana Capital Group, a company registered in the United Arab Emirates.

The Armenians, with a historic presence dating back to the fourth century, fear the project would not only consume their car park but also threaten their community hall, Patriarch’s Garden, seminary, and five family homes. The Armenian Quarter, centered around the Cathedral of Saint James, which dates back to 420 AD, constitutes one-sixth of walled Jerusalem and accommodates a thousand people.

In speaking to Reuters, Israeli lawyer-activist Daniel Seidemann said he believes the project aims to expand the Jewish Quarter into half of the Old City as part of a broader plan to surround the area with settlement projects.

As recently reported, the 1,600-year-old Greek Orthodox Church of Saint Porphyrios in the Gaza Strip, which provided shelter to displaced Palestinians, was hit by Israeli aircraft. The Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem reported the incident, and Palestinian health officials confirmed sixteen casualties.

The Israeli military said its fighter jets struck a command and control center involved in the missile launch. The military acknowledged damage to the church and expressed awareness of casualties. There were about fifty people, mostly women and children, at the church, where refuge was being sought during the conflict and strike.

Witnesses believe the target was close to a place of worship where many Gazans had likewise sought refuge. The Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem condemned the Israeli airstrikes, calling the attack on churches providing shelter to displaced citizens a war crime.

https://greekreporter.com/2023/11/21/armenian-church-jerusalem-controversy-land-deal/

Armenia is set to bolster its military capabilities through the acquisition of India-made MArG 155mm wheeled self-propelled howitzers from Pune-based Bharat Forge. Representing a cutting-edge artillery system, these howitzers embody power, precision, and mobility.

The MArG 155mm/39 calibre stands out for its exceptional all-terrain manoeuvrability, capable of negotiating gradients up to 30°. Its ‘shoot and scoot’ capability adds versatility, making it a formidable weapon in modern combat scenarios.

This move signifies a pivotal moment for India’s export of indigenous defence technology. The MArG 155mm/39 calibre – BR, with its exceptional mobility and precision, represents a significant leap in artillery systems.

Armenia’s decision to acquire these howitzers is deemed a ‘significant development for India’s defence industry.’ Recent visits by Armenian officials to India involved testing the artillery system and finalizing the deal with Bharat Forge. This acquisition builds upon the growing strategic partnership between the two nations, positioning India as a key supplier of defence equipment to Armenia.

In 2020, Armenia procured four Swathi mobile radar units from India, and in September 2022, a US$245 million contract was signed for Pinaka multi-barrel rocket launchers, anti-tank rockets, and various types of ammunition.

This latest purchase adds to a series of acquisitions by Armenia from India since 2022, including the Akash Surface-to-air missile system, 155mm towed ATAGS howitzers, Zen Anti-Drone Systems, 30mm and 40mm grenades, PINAKA multi-barrel rocket launchers, anti-tank munitions, and ammunition. These acquisitions underscore the deepening collaboration in defence between the two nations, reinforcing Armenia’s defence capabilities.

Based on information in the public domain, since 1991, tensions have brewed between Azerbaijan and Armenia, sparked by the Armenian military’s occupation of Karabakh—an internationally recognized part of Azerbaijan—along with seven neighboring regions.

It has been reported in a section of the media that in a decisive move during the autumn of 2020, Azerbaijan liberated a significant portion of this territory through a war that concluded with a Russian-brokered peace agreement, paving the way for diplomatic normalization.

However, in a recent development this September, the Azerbaijani army launched a counterterrorism operation in Karabakh, aiming to establish a constitutional order, resulting in the surrender of illegal separatist forces in the region.

According to Russia’s Tass News Agency, the two sides have been able to agree to basic principles for a peace treaty, but still are speaking different diplomatic languages.

https://www.financialexpress.com/business/defence-armenia-strengthens-defence-capabilities-with-indias-marg-155mm-howitzers-3312545/

The arrests of the director and editor in chief of Abzas Media come after a series of reports looking into officials’ wealth.

Two journalists have been arrested in Azerbaijan, according to their lawyers, after their media outlet recently published a series of reports looking into the wealth of high-ranking government officials and the family of President Ilham Aliyev.

Sevinj Vagifgyzy, the editor in chief of privately owned Abzas Media, was arrested and her home was searched on Tuesday, her lawyer and Abzas Media said.

A day earlier, police also arrested Ulvi Hasanli, the director of the same media outlet, on charges of “smuggling foreign currency”.

Hasanli pleaded not guilty to the charges, for which he could face 12 years in prison, his lawyer Zibeyda Sadygova said.

Abzas Media reported that Hasanli faced “inhumane treatment” while in custody, including being punched and kicked by officers who asked him about his corruption investigations.

Meanwhile, police also raided the media outlet’s office in Baku and kicked out journalists attempting to document the search from outside, footage from Abvas Media shows.

Abzas Media is one of the few independent media outlets left in Azerbaijan following a near decade-long campaign against independent media and press rights groups, the Committee to Protect Journalists said.

Natalia Nozadze, a South Caucasus researcher with rights group Amnesty International, said Hasanli’s arrest “fits into a pattern of critics being arrested by the authorities to stifle their dissent”.

She said Hasanli “has bravely exposed allegations of high-level corruption in Azerbaijan and covered critical issues of public interest” and that he has in the past “faced repeated harassment from the government”.

Signs of dissent are often met with a tough government response in Azerbaijan, an energy-rich nation long ruled by the Aliyev dynasty.

WASHINGTON – The United States will provide over $4.1 million in aid for people affected by the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh, the United States Agency for International Development said in a statement, after Azerbaijan's recapture of the region prompted a mass exodus of Armenians.

Azerbaijan and Armenia have been at odds for decades, most notably over the breakaway Azerbaijani region of Nagorno-Karabakh, which Baku's forces recaptured in September, prompting a mass exodus of most of the region's 120,000 ethnic Armenians to neighboring Armenia.

USAID said the additional aid, which has not been previously reported, will support efforts to provide assistance for almost 74,000 refugees and displaced people from the region who are sheltering in Armenia.

The aid will increase food assistance and provide humanitarian protection and emergency shelter, according to the statement.

The additional aid will bring the total U.S. humanitarian assistance for the Nagorno-Karabakh response to nearly $28 million since 2020, according to the statement.

"The U.S. stands with civilians affected by Azerbaijan’s military operation and supports the Armenian government’s efforts to help those in need," the statement read.

The two Caucasian countries have been in conflict most notably over the region of Nagorno-Karabakh, internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan but largely populated and controlled by ethnic Armenians with Yerevan's support until Baku recaptured it in September.

USAID chief Samantha Power traveled to Armenia and Azerbaijan in September following Azerbaijan's defeat of the breakaway region's fighters in the conflict dating from the Soviet era.

"We are incredibly grateful to the Armenian government and the Armenian people for opening their homes and their hearts to the displaced. We will continue to stand with them throughout this crisis," Power said.

The Armenians of Karabakh – part of Azerbaijan that had been beyond Baku's control since the 1991 dissolution of the Soviet Union – began fleeing after their forces were routed in the operation by Azerbaijan's military. REUTERS