Our communities in the diaspora take great pride in their history. Although immigration to the United States predated the Turkish atrocities against the Armenian people, it is generally understood that the Armenian Genocide played a pivotal role in the permanent establishment of diaspora communties. Prior to the Armenian Genocide, migration to the West was largely viewed as temporary, with hopes of returning home.
I remember my grandfather’s story, which was fairly representative of pre-war immigration. Many early Armenian immigrants were unmarried men seeking to evade conscription into the Turkish Ottoman army. My grandfather arrived in the United States in 1913, as the Ottoman Empire reeled from another disastrous Balkan campaign and the winds of war stirred in Europe. His intention to return to his homeland was forever altered by the criminal campaign known to all today as the Armenian Genocide. There was plenty of evidence to suggest that Armenians would be victimized under the cover of world calamities. The Ottoman Empire was in rapid decline, suffering significant territorial losses, and genocide had already begun with the Hamidian massacres in the mid-1890s and the Adana massacres of 1909.
For many American Armenians, the events that led to the establishment of a diaspora in the U.S. remain deeply personal. Others connect with the heroic struggles in Aleppo and other Syrian villages. After all, the Syrian deserts were the end point for any survivors, as our people were ruthlessly marched into the abyss of Der el Zor. These historic moments of resilience inspired our nation.
Yet, the diasporas created by the Genocide were not the first communities to form outside the homeland. The first, and most enduring, Armenian community in the diaspora has an eternal connection to the Holy Land. In blessed Jerusalem, where our Christian faith is centered, our people established a presence in the fourth century, shortly after embracing Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and a formal structure emerged in 638 through the Armenian Patriarchate. Our small, proud nation has shared the custodial responsibilities over the Holy Sites with the Greek and Latin Christian communities for centuries.
This is an incredible honor for the first Christian nation, which has been gifted to successive generations for nearly 14 centuries. But it is much greater than a community—it is a responsibility.
The Armenian section of the Old City, known popularly as the Armenian Quarter, consists of the Cathedral of St. James, the theological seminary, Sts. Tarkmanchatz Armenian School, the renowned manuscript repository of the Gulbenkian Library, the Mardigian Museum of Armenian Art and Culture and numerous other property holdings.
In the 14th century, Armenians received permission to build a wall around their quarter. This first diasporan community has seen many rulers—including the Byzantines, Muslims, Crusaders, Mamluks, Ottoman Turks, Jordanians, Palestinians and now Israelis. This is a testament to the political skills as well as spiritual commitment to maintaining ownership while navigating dramatic change.
In recent years, the global Armenian nation has devoted more attention to the needs of the Patriarchate and the Armenian Quarter in general, with generous investments and spiritual pilgrimages. Armenian churches in the United States have sponsored a significant number of trips to educate and increase awareness among a new generation. This is timely and important, as the Armenian Quarter and Christians in the Holy Land have experienced a significant population exodus caused by a lack of economic opportunities and difficulty functioning under Israeli governance. While many diaspora communities, particularly in North America, have historically close and cordial relations with local Jewish communties, the policies of Israel have tragically strained relations between these people with a shared history of genocide.
The Israeli government has embarrassed itself and the nation by refusing to formally recognize the Armenian Genocide. In the discussion of genocide, there is no middle ground. Maintaining neutrality or silence is denial. What would be the Israeli reaction to Armenians refusing to acknowledge the veracity of the Holocaust? It would rightfully generate outrage and accusations of antisemitism. Israel’s denial of the Armenian Genocide is a stain on any pretense of integrity. Israel has also chosen politics over moral correctness through its military and intelligence alliance with rogue Azerbaijan. By supplying Azerbaijan with billions of dollars of military hardware in exchange for 40% of its fossil fuel needs, Israel has the blood of murdered Armenians on its hands. These policies have overtly enabled the criminal behavior of Azerbaijan in Artsakh and Armenia.
The diaspora’s support of Artsakh and Armenia are credible examples of building a global nation. Maintaining a global Armenian nation requires that we remain globally aware and committed to each other during moments of adversity. The current crisis in Jerusalem’s Armenian Quarter is a contemporary opportunity to defend our institutions.
Maintaining a global Armenian nation requires that we remain globally aware and committed to each other during moments of adversity. The current crisis in Jerusalem’s Armenian Quarter is a contemporary opportunity to defend our institutions.
It began in 2021, when members of the Patriarchate made an illegal deal with Xana Capital, leasing the Cows’ Garden—a vital piece of Armenian land—for 98 years to build a hotel. The deal, made without approval from the Holy Synod and General Assembly, sparked public outrage. In response, the Patriarch moved to nullify the agreement, triggering a protracted legal battle. Meanwhile, aggressive Israeli settlers and real estate interests have attempted violent takeovers, forcing Armenians to physically defend their land.
The last two years have been dominated by court actions from both sides. There have been aggressive, violent attempts by the various factions to forcibly take the Armenian land, requiring the community to physically defend its property. The actions of the Patriarchate have been called into question by the community and not fully clarified. While internal discussions continue, the unity of the church clergy, lay members and community organizations is a priority.
Out of this tragedy, an activist movement called Save the ArQ has emerged. The leaders of the campaign are two young Jerusalem Armenians named Setrag Balian and Hagop Djernazian, who represent a new generation of the leadership that has maintained the Armenian Quarter for centuries. Their mission is clear: to defend and preserve the Armenian Quarter of Jerusalem. They face opposition by radical Israeli settlers, real estate moguls and authorities who have done little to prevent physical aggression against clergy and community members. A few hundred Armenians now provide 24-hour security at the Cows’ Garden to prevent incursions, while the lawsuits work their way through the courts. These men and the hundreds they represent are heroes to our nation and most deserving of our support.
Balian and Djernazian just completed a tour of the eastern U.S. with the explicit purposes of raising funds for the critical legal defense, spreading awareness within the Armenian community and lobbying for support. They held numerous public events from Boston to New York to Washington D.C. It is no secret that Christians are harassed in the Holy Land by various Israeli factions. There have been numerous reports of priests attacked by fanatics during holy days and public religious processions. This matter with the Cows’ Garden is very serious and almost unprecedented.
The stakes are so high that the Jordanian government and Palestinian Authority withdrew their official recognition of the Armenian Patriarchate in protest of the deal, underscoring its gravity. While legal action is underway to reverse the agreement, the broader struggle continues. Palestinians in Jerusalem and the West Bank have been friends with Armenians for decades, but defeating those who seek to weaken the Armenian Quarter requires unity and financial support. We can all contribute to the crowdfunding of the Armenian Legal Defense Front for Save the ArQ at givebutter.com/Arq2025.
Moments of adversity have a small but important silver lining. Without them, we would not be able to gauge our resolve to defend what is ours. This was true during the Artsakh struggle, and it is true today with the illegal incarceration of our hostages in Baku. It was true during the dark days of May 1918, when the ashes of genocide were smoldering and disease was rampant. The alternative of succumbing to the odds was rejected and the valor of our people prevailed. It was true at Avarayr, where our ancestors chose sacrifice over submission, paving the way for a golden age of Armenian literature. Without Sardarabad, there would have been no territorial basis for the modern Armenian republic.
The parallels in Jerusalem today are clear. Without the heroic resistance of our brethren in the Holy Land, a catastrophic precedent will occur. Imagine our historic responsibility in Jerusalem reduced permanently. Will the Christian sites remain our collective responsibility for the glory of God or will they become museums of history? The Turkish state profits from tourism at the sites of the indigenous people they slaughtered. Will the decline of the Christian presence in the Holy Land create a similar scenario? The Cows’ Garden is a milestone in this journey. We have no right to speak of the future if we choose to ignore the present.
The time for action is now. Join the movement to Save the ArQ with your financial support and sustainable advocacy. For those of us in the diaspora, this should have unique value, as the origin of our Christian faith and our first community in the diaspora is calling for our support. As Christian Armenians, ask yourself: what have I done to save the Armenian Quarter?
Stepan Piligian
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At least Pashinyan finally saw sense and recognised Palestine as a state realising that Israel has been stringing Armenia along and for Armenia to realise that it’s previous policies of not recognising Palestine as they didn’t recognise Arktash was farce since Armenia never really did either and as Palestine is intertwined with Israel a way of showing Israel that it’s derisory and hostile behaviour has consequences even if symbolic and besides nations far more significant to Israel than Armenia had had recognised Palestine years ago such as India and that Azerbaijan and Georgia recognised in 1992 shortly after it was possible for them to do so didn’t faze Israel something that Armenia seemed to take decades to comphend along with the fact that most UN members have recognised Palestine so despite Israel being no friend Armenia was in effect being pro Israel for no benefits .