BY KHALED ABU TOAMEH
From the Jerusalem Post
The Palestinian Authority considers the Armenian Quarter in the Old City of Jerusalem an integral part of east Jerusalem and won’t give up its claim to it, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas said on Wednesday.
Abbas’s remark came during a meeting in his office in Ramallah with leaders of various Christian communities in Jerusalem and the West Bank.
Documents published by Al- Jazeera last month showed that PA negotiators had offered to relinquish any claim to the Jewish and Armenian Quarters in the Old City.
“The Palestinian leadership sticks to its position that considers the Armenian Quarter an integral part of east Jerusalem, the capital of the independent Palestinian state,” Abbas told the Christian leaders.
Abbas said that the PA was committed to supporting all Palestinian Christian communities and “enhancing their role in Palestinian society.” He added that the PA, together with some “friendly countries,” had endorsed a plan to renovate the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem.
The PA has established a special fund for renovating the church, Abbas disclosed.
He said his government was also prepared to support all projects that preserve the Christian presence in the Palestinian territories. In order to support local products, Abbas added, he had instructed the PA government to ban the import of items that are often bought by Christian pilgrims.
Right. And half of Turkey belongs to Armenians, and all of Azerbaijan also belongs to Armenians, so let’s all get together and return each others territories.
Maybe if the Armenian Quarter were named Palestinian Quarter he would have the right to claim it,but its Armenian Quarter so no one should claim anything,what is wrong with those people!
What is wrong with you? Before you make a comment go and learn something. We are Palestinian Armenians, we do not want to be under Israel
Boy-maybe we need to educate them too as where they were in the years BC let alone throughout the centuries from 01 ad till now – These guys are not our friends-
can some one explain what this guy is claimming ,,, is it the church itself ??? and planning to remove the Armenians ???? and who are the friendly countries ???
No, he is following the wishes of the Armenian patrairch. We do NOT want to go under israeli control if there is a peace agreement. we are palestinian-armenians, and wish to remain with palestine and the christian arabs, as well as be open to armenians in other arab countries
Haha, “a plan to renovate the Church of the Nativity”. Aww, how nice of them. It seems people have short memories. This was the church Palestinian militants seized and damaged several years ago while hiding from the Israeli army. And Israeli snipers killed some militants inside the church and if I recall correctly “accidentally” wounded an Armenian priest. If the Armenian territory goes to Israel or Palestine in some future land agreement, Armenians will lose either way to both of these untrustworthy races. Hopefully the original plan for Jerusalem will be enforced and become an international city at some point in the future.
learn some history please, the israelis invaded bethlehem, that is what caused this issue.
I agree with Jack ,are we playing pull the rope one is pushing the other releases and the Armenians are waiving right and left .
My Opinion is that the Armenian Quarter belongs and will stay to the Armenians not for Israel or for the Palestinian enough of bull shitting and gambling on our back .
You are all uneducated and have no knowledge of the situation.
The Armenian Quarter is one of the 4 quarters of Jerusalem (along with Christian, Muslim, and Jewish). The Armenians in the Quarter mainly consider themselves as Palestinian-Armenians (just like Lebanese-Armenians, or Syrian-Armenians). The Armenian population of Palestine before was 35,000 people, and after the creation of Israel and the occupation, only 2,000 Armenians were left.
The Israeli government continues to confiscate Armenian church property, deport Armenians from Jerusalem, and send in settlers to take over our quarter. Thus, the Armenian community as well as the Armenian Patriarch has specifically asked that Armenians remain with the Palestinians if there is a solution ever. This was asked from the Armenian Patriarch to Mahmoud Abbas, as well as to Yasser Arafat.
The Armenians also cannot be separated from the Christian Quarter, the Christian Quarter is mainly Palestinian Arab Christians. If we separate, we lose our rights in the Holy Sepulchre and the Nativity Church.
We do not want to ever go under Israelis because their ultimate goal is to annex it and expand the Jewish Quarter. They want to empty Jerusalem of Armenians and take the Quarter for themselves to build up more for Jews.
So, please learn something before you make uneducated and ridiculous statements, thanks.
You are right! Armenians living in israel are Palestinian Armenians. Lets not forget that the zionists want to destroy the Armenian community more than anyone else. Like you said the population of Armenians in Palestine were 35,000 and now its 2,000.
thank you, we will never be with israelis!!!
Based on baghestinihye’s comments, I doubt he is Armenian but an Islamist impostor. I was born in Haifa, grew up there and I’m proud to say in an Israeli-Armenian since I was born in 1982 in a country called ISRAEL, not Palestine. Like my grandmother said the land was in peace until Arab nationalists started massacring Jews in Hebron and Safed. Who started the war of 1948? The Arabs and they used the Armenian homes and Quarter as a military base. Aside from that our Quarter is currently under Israeli rule and there have been little incidents. The Israelis give us rights, protection etc. In my opinion the Armenian Quarter should belong to NONE as Echmiadzin and the Priests have made it clear to Armenians not to take ANY sides and if we do we go against the Church. I’m Israeli-Armenian and our quarter belongs to the Armenians.