The Orbeli Center presents an interview with Petross Ter-Matossian, Professor of Modern Middle East History and a specialist in the history and politics of Jerusalem, on the issues surrounding the Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem and the Armenian community in Israel and Israel's targeted policy on this issue. 

Petros Ter-Matossian was born and raised in the Old City of Jerusalem. He is a professor of Modern Middle East History, as well as Hymen Rosenberg Professor in Jewish Studies at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Ter-Matossian is an author, editor and co-editor of 7 books. He is the co-editor of the Routledge Handbook on Jerusalem, published in 2018.   

1. Mr. Ter-Matossian, thank you for accepting our invitation for an interview. Can you tell us what problem has arisen regarding the Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem? Is this a new policy of Jerusalem? Is it being applied to all religious minorities, or is it aimed at the Patriarchate?  

Petros Ter-Matossian: Tensions between the Armenian Patriarchate and the Jerusalem Municipality over the arnona (property tax) issue are not new and have been going on for decades. However, this problem is not limited to the Armenian Patriarchate. It also affects other religious denominations, including Catholic, Greek Orthodox and others. Over the years, the municipality has targeted not only commercial properties owned by the Armenian Patriarchate but also St. James Cathedral. 

The latest action of the municipality, which is attempting to tax the Armenian Patriarchate’s commercial properties, represents a serious escalation that threatens the very existence of the Armenian community in Jerusalem.    

Unlike ordinary business ventures, the income from this property is essential to the activities of the Armenian Patriarchate. They finance many religious, educational, cultural and medical institutions. The Armenian Patriarchate has no other substantial support from which it could derive income, and depends entirely on the profits from the support for its day-to-day operations. Moreover, many members of the Armenian community work for the Patriarchate, which means that the confiscation of this commercial property could have far-reaching consequences not only for religious institutions, but also for the community as a whole. 

From Armenia’s perspective, this dramatic action by the municipality violates the status quo, a long-standing arrangement that has actually been maintained by various regimes in the region for over a century and a half. The status quo, established by the 1878 Treaty of Berlin, preserves the governance and rights of religious institutions in Jerusalem, ensuring that Christian religious organizations can continue their activities without interference or political pressure. 

2. The court hearing scheduled for February 24 was postponed indefinitely. How can the Armenian Patriarchate oppose the actions of the Jerusalem Municipality?   

Petros Ter-Matossian: The municipality’s actions are not limited to the Armenian Patriarchate. The Notre Dame of Jerusalem Center hotel, restaurant and conference center in the Old City were also targeted. In 2023, Israeli authorities froze the bank accounts of the Notre Dame of Jerusalem Center, emphasizing wider pressure by the municipality on the property owned by the city’s churches. Such actions are part of the municipality’s ongoing efforts to collect unpaid taxes from religious institutions and raise serious concerns about the long-term presence of Christians in Jerusalem.

Since the municipality’s policy impacts all Christian denominations, it is crucial to form a united front to resist pressures that could threaten the existence of Christian communities in the Holy Land. A key example of such united resistance occurred in 2018, when the Jerusalem Municipality, led by Mayor Nir Barkat, attempted to apply similar measures against religious institutions. In response, Christian leaders organized a large-scale protest on Easter Sunday, closing the Church of the Holy Sepulchre for three days. Under such resistance, Mayor Barkat eventually backed down and then turned to Prime Minister Netanyahu’s office, appointing a special committee to negotiate with the churches and find a solution. 

The churches accused Mayor Barkat of violating the status quo. The aforementioned status quo has been a cornerstone of the Christian presence in the city of Jerusalem for centuries, and any threat to this matter is seen as an affront to the historical and religious rights of the Christian communities of Jerusalem.

3. Can we say that the current Israeli government, in which radical-religious forces have considerable influence, is behind the actions taken against the Patriarchate?

Petros Ter-Matossian: It is possible, that right-wing Israeli political forces are behind this latest action. However, as mentioned above, the tax problem has existed for decades. The question arises: why were Armenians specifically targeted? One possible answer is that the Armenian Patriarchate lacks strong external support. Unlike the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate, which is backed by the Greek state, or the Latin Patriarchate, which has the support of the Vatican, Armenians are in a completely different situation. There is no such consistency in the case of Armenia. This lack of external support may make the Armenian Patriarchate a more vulnerable target for the municipality’s actions. 

4. Can you indicate on the map below roughly which areas are likely to be captured?

Petros Ter-Matossian: Most of the properties that may be confiscated, are located on Shlomzion Hamalka Street in West Jerusalem, outside the Old City (marked in blue on the map). These properties were purchased under the reign of Patriarch Torgom Kushaghian (1931-1939) to ensure the financial stability of the Patriarchate.  

4. What is the situation with the Cows’ Garden? Are these two problems interrelated or not? 

Petros Ter-Matossian: The fate of the Cows’ Garden will be decided by an Israeli court. The tax problem may be related to this incident, which may serve as a means of putting pressure on the Armenian Patriarchate. 

5. What do you think the Republic of Armenia can do to support the Patriarchate in this issue? 

Petros Ter-Matossian: Unfortunately, the Republic of Armenia is in no hurry to solve this issue. Armenian Jerusalem is the most important religious and cultural center outside Armenia, with a history dating back more than two millennia. While empires have flourished and collapsed over the centuries, Armenian Jerusalem has remained unshaken. Today, however, Armenian Jerusalem is struggling for its existence, whether it is the crisis over the Cows’ Garden or the ongoing tax problems. It is high time for the Republic of Armenia to pay due attention to this issue and raise it on the international stage. The Azerbaijani lobby is known to be active in Israel, and it would not be surprising if part of their efforts is aimed at silencing the voice of the Armenians of Jerusalem.