Armenian authorities have not yet reacted to alert from Armenian Church of Jerusalem – Serob Sahakyan

Speaking with Alpha News, Serob Sahakyan, a member of the Armenian National Committee in Jerusalem, touched upon the issue of Armenian properties in Jerusalem.

The Armenian Church in Jerusalem reported earlier that the Jerusalem Municipality was trying to seize its property and put it up for auction to collect community debts allegedly accrued since 1994. The Patriarchate has filed an administrative petition to stop the foreclosure process.

“Israel is a state in which 20% of the population are religious people and about a million people receive money as a religious class. Therefore, we were sure that there should be a different attitude towards the religious stratum,” he said.

He also noted with regret that the Armenian authorities did not react to the events. “We must organize international pressure, form an international external front to put some pressure on Israel and reconsider this issue. However, the Armenian authorities have not yet expressed any official protest,” Sahakyan stressed.

According to a statement issued by the Patriarchate, such targeted behavior against the Armenian Church may jeopardize the long-standing mission of the Armenian Patriarchate in the Holy Land, which has been operating since the 7th century. Moreover, it could jeopardize the continued presence of the Armenian community in the Holy Land, which dates back to the 4th century. The Patriarchate called on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Interior Minister Moshe Arbel and head of the Government Committee Tzachi Hanegbi to resolutely intervene and immediately freeze all proceedings of the municipality against the Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem.