Day: January 29, 2025

Save the ArQ co-founders Setrag Balian and Hagop Djernazian brought the plight of Jerusalem’s Armenian Christian Quarter to Capitol Hill and Washington’s policy circles this week, drawing urgent attention to the existential threats facing the 1,700-year-old Armenian Christian presence in the Holy Land.

The Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) – as a service to American stakeholders committed to the sanctity of the Holy Land – accompanied Balian and Djernazian during a full day of legislative meetings, a mid-day Capitol Hill seminar, and a late afternoon live-streamed update – amplifying their call for U.S. leadership in protecting this sacred pillar of global Christian heritage.

“This is a pivotal moment for the Armenian Quarter of Jerusalem, and it’s a fight that resonates far beyond the Old City,” said ANCA Policy Director Alex Galitsky. “The efforts of Balian and Djernazian to raise awareness here in Washington reflect the broader existential struggle Armenians face against the threat of dispossession, discrimination, displacement, and ethnic cleansing – from Artsakh to Syria and the Holy Land. Their meetings with lawmakers are critical to building the support needed to defend the human rights, religious freedoms, and cultural heritage of Armenians globally.”

Capitol Hill Engagement: “A Struggle for Religious Freedom and Cultural Preservation”

Djernazian and Balian, whose movement has been at the forefront of defending Jerusalem’s Armenian Christian Quarter, met with the U.S. Senate and U.S. House offices including Sen. Bernie Sanders (D-VT), Sen. Adam Schiff (D-CA), Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Rep. Sean Casten (D-IL), Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) and Congressional Armenian Caucus Co-Chair Frank Pallone (D-NJ). They framed discussions around the escalating legal, cultural, and physical threats facing the Armenian Quarter, including armed assaults by settler groups and the illegal leasing of 25% of the community’s property to private developers.

Djernazian told lawmakers about the deeply flawed 2021 lease agreement with Xana Gardens, a company linked to Israeli settler organizations. He noted that the 98-year lease not only violates the Armenian Patriarchate’s internal bylaws but also disregards the Waqf (religious trust) status of the land, which prohibits its sale or lease for profit. “This is more than a bad financial deal,” Djernazian emphasized. “It is an attempt to sever our historic and cultural ties to Jerusalem, a place we’ve called home for centuries.”

The Capitol Hill briefing, titled “The Future of Jerusalem’s Armenian Christian Quarter,” drew over 50 Congressional offices to a standing-room-only session. Galitsky described the crisis as part of a larger pattern of displacement and ethnic violence faced by Armenians across the region during his opening remarks. “This isn’t just a land dispute,” Galitsky noted. “It’s an existential struggle to preserve the Armenian community’s cultural, spiritual, and historical presence in Jerusalem – which has existed both as a place of pilgrimage following Armenia’s adoption of Christianity in the 4th century and as a place of sanctuary following the Armenian Genocide.”

The Capitol Hill briefing included active participation by Congressional Armenian Staff Association members.

Community Advocacy: Broad Public Engagement through Webcast and Ads

Later that evening, Djernazian and Balian participated in a hybrid in-person/live webcast from the ANCA’s Washington, DC headquarters, streamed across the organization’s YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter platforms. The event, viewed by thousands online, echoed key themes from the Capitol Hill discussions. The Save the ArQ leaders outlined the immediate threats to the Armenian Quarter, including acts of intimidation and violence against activists and community members. Balian highlighted the Cows’ Garden property’s strategic and historical importance, describing its role as a refuge for pilgrims, a defensive stronghold, and the only remaining open space in Jerusalem’s Old City.

“We are fighting not just for land, but for the soul of Jerusalem,” Balian stated. “The Armenian Quarter embodies the coexistence and cultural harmony that has defined this city for millennia. Losing it would disrupt the fragile balance of the Old City and forever alter its historic identity.”

Khachkar Studiosamplified these messages with a nationwide ad campaign targeting Congressional districts represented by influential U.S. lawmakers, including House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), Foreign Affairs Committee Chair Brian Mast (R-FL), and Europe Subcommittee Chair Keith Self (R-TX). Banner ads in publications like the Shreveport Times, the Sun-Sentinel, Palm & Beach Post, and Dallas Morning News directed readers to advocacy materials and the webcast registration page.

Legal Action and On-the-Ground Struggles

The Save the ArQ delegation also detailed ongoing legal efforts to nullify the disastrous 2021 lease agreement. The lawsuit, filed in Jerusalem District Court, argues that the lease violates Ottoman-era laws recognizing the property as a religious trust and requires approval from the Holy Synod and General Assembly of the Armenian Patriarchate, which was never obtained. Meanwhile, acts of violence continue to escalate, including armed attacks on sit-ins by settlers and the arrest of Armenian activists defending the property. These incidents, Djernazian noted, have become part of a broader campaign to erase Armenian identity from Jerusalem.

Karnig Kerkonian, international attorney and lead counsel for the Save the ArQ campaign, concurred, noting: “The Armenian Quarter faces an existential threat that endangers not only its preservation but also the survival of Christianity in Jerusalem and the greater Middle East. Its loss would create a dangerous geopolitical vacuum in one of the world’s most significant cities, jeopardizing stability in the Old City and unleashing forces that could escalate regional conflict beyond control. Our briefing on Capitol Hill was crucial in raising awareness of this urgent issue, ensuring that policymakers understand the far-reaching implications and the critical need to protect the Armenian Quarter as a cornerstone of peace and stability in the region.”

Historical and Cultural Significance of the Armenian Christian Quarter

Jerusalem’s Armenian Quarter has been a pillar of Christian heritage since Armenia became the first nation to adopt Christianity as its national religion in 301 AD. Armenian monks arrived in the Holy Land shortly thereafter, and the Patriarchate of St. James was established in the 7th century, making it one of the oldest Christian institutions in the region. The Quarter has served as a refuge for pilgrims, a center for learning and art—including the first printing press in Jerusalem—and a sanctuary for survivors of the Armenian Genocide.

Today, the Armenian Quarter remains home to ancient churches, schools, libraries, and community centers, but its future is threatened by encroachment from settler-linked organizations and government-backed developments.

Setrag Balian and Hagop Djernazian, co-founders of Save the ArQ, are fourth-generation descendants of Armenian families deeply rooted in Jerusalem’s historic Armenian Quarter. Balian, from the prominent Balian family known for their role in establishing Armenian ceramics in the city, is an activist and writer who has studied economics in France and Armenia and ceramics in Spain. His work focuses on preserving the Quarter’s architectural and cultural heritage. Djernazian, a resident of the Armenian Quarter and descendant of Armenian Genocide survivors, has been instrumental in raising awareness about the threats facing this vital community. A law student with a degree in International Relations and Middle East Studies from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, he combines legal expertise with grassroots advocacy.

Their meetings in Washington, DC, are part of a broader series of community presentations across the Eastern U.S., including Boston, New York, Chicago, and Detroit.