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In latest months, I’ve been contacted by many readers who requested me to put in writing in regards to the controversy concerning the Jerusalem Armenian Patriarchate’s lease of round 25% of the Armenian Quarter to a Jewish investor for 98 years. Nonetheless, as the small print of the lease contract weren’t made public, I used to be unable to put in writing about it.
Attempting to study the information, I referred to as the Armenian Patriarch of Jerusalem Nourhan Manougian twice, asking him for a replica of the contract. He didn’t reply. I spoke with now defrocked Fr. Baret Yeretzian, one of many signatories of the contract, who mentioned he didn’t have a replica of the contract. I made a number of unsuccessful makes an attempt to contact among the legal professionals who went on a fact-finding mission to Jerusalem and ready a 184-page report. I used to be informed that the report has not been made public as a result of it had some delicate data. I additionally contacted an Armenian activist in Jerusalem and one of many sponsors of the fact-finding mission.
Regardless that I nonetheless haven’t seen a replica of both the report or contract, I simply learn a revealing article within the Keghart web site which posted an interview with a Jerusalem Armenian activist who had a replica of the 184-page report, together with the contract with one of many pages lacking. I made a decision to put in writing about what I’ve discovered to date, despite the fact that I choose to assessment personally copies of the contract and report.
For many who have been following the assorted scandals involving the Jerusalem Armenian Patriarchate, there may be nothing shocking: unhappy, however not shocking. Such covert land leases and gross sales of valuable objects owned by the Patriarchate have been occurring for many years.
This present scandal isn’t just a questionable enterprise transaction. It has political repercussions given the controversy between Palestinians and the State of Israel over Jerusalem. It has additionally penalties for the survival of the dwindling Armenian group in Jerusalem.
The contract for the lease has been signed by three clergymen: Patriarch Nourhan Manoughian, now defrocked Father Baret Yeretzian, and Archbishop Sevan Gharibian. As Fr. Baret, the previous director of the Patriarchate’s Actual Property Workplace, has come underneath intense criticism, many really feel that the Patriarch has tried to shift the blame on Fr. Baret, making him the scapegoat. Nonetheless, King Abdullah II of Jordan, traditionally the custodian of Holy Websites in Jerusalem, and Mahmoud Abbas, the pinnacle of the Palestinian Nationwide Authority, in a joint announcement, blamed the Patriarch and suspended their recognition of Archbishop Manougian because the Patriarch of the Armenian Church in Jerusalem, the Holy Land and Jordan.
Hagop Djernazian, an Armenian activist in Jerusalem, informed Keghart that the Australian-Jewish investor, Rubinstein/Rothman, plans to construct a seven-star resort on ‘Goverou Bardez’ (Cows’ Backyard), the land leased from the Armenian Patriarchate. The dimensions of the property leased is 11,500 sq. meters or 123,785 sq. ft. The annual fee to the Patriarchate is $300,000. Nonetheless, Fr. Baret informed me that the revenue will probably be 5% of the resort’s income which might differ from yr to yr. Djernazian mentioned that the leased land at the moment contains 5 Armenian properties, the Patriarch’s Backyard, the Patriarch’s non-public parking in addition to the corridor of the seminary. On the finish of the primary 49 years, the customer has the choice to resume the lease for an additional 49 years.
Djernazian additionally defined that the legal professionals obtained a replica of the contract from an unknown third celebration, not the Patriarchate nor the municipality of Jerusalem, however he insists that the contract is real, as “we have been in a position to verify it with the Patriarchate.”
Patriarch Manougian, underneath strain from Armenians worldwide, has promised to cancel the contract, however a unilateral cancelation could lead to authorized challenges and monetary penalties. A consultant of the Palestinian Authority acknowledged that it might be prepared to pay the penalty for cancellation. Nonetheless, Djernazian doesn’t appear to pay attention to that pledge, as he informed Keghart: “If cash is required, I’m positive the Patriarchate, the group and the Armenian nation will work collectively to boost the required quantity to pay the cancellation penalty.”
Based on Djernazian, there are a few issues with the contract:
1) It violates the by-laws of the Patriarchate;
2) The date on the contract is altered from July 7 to July 8, 2021, to mirror the date that the investor’s firm, Xana Gardens Restricted, was registered in Israel. Fr. Baret defined the discrepancy as a easy typing error.
It isn’t clear what the following steps are to resolve this thorny subject. A technique can be for the Jerusalem Armenian group to rent Israeli legal professionals to sue the Patriarch or the Jewish Investor, nonetheless, nobody else aside from the Patriarch and the Jewish investor have authorized standing in courtroom.
Given the prominence of Jerusalem on the planet and significance of the Armenian presence within the Holy Metropolis ranging from the fourth century, this lease is of curiosity to all Armenians worldwide in addition to Palestinians, the State of Israel, and the King of Jordan.
Nonetheless, one celebration we have now not heard from is the Authorities of Armenia which might formally contact the State of Israel to make its needs recognized. Nonetheless, Armenia’s leaders have their arms full proper now, given the precarious state of affairs in Artsakh and Armenia.
By Harut Sassounian
Writer, The California Courier
www.TheCaliforniaCourier.com
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