Israeli extremists attack Armenians in Jerusalem
Israeli extremists have attacked Christian Armenians living in old Jerusalem as tensions increased between Israeli settlers and Palestinians in recent days.
On January 27, a large group of supporters of extremist settler leader Baruch Marzel, who has been banned from running for political office due to incitement, attempted to enter Jerusalem’s Old City through the Damascus Gate into the Muslim Quarter.
The police prevented them from entering and they marched instead up to the New Gate, where they encountered the last few diners sitting at tables outside of the popular Armenian Taboun and Wine by Rewind Restaurant.
Video footage posted by Wafa News Agency showed the extremist Jewish settlers hurling chairs at the restaurant and diners.
Watch: Israeli settlers Thursday evening attacked an Armenian restaurant at the New Gate in the Christian Quarter of the occupied city of Jerusalem. pic.twitter.com/Tt604bJkTP
— Wafa News Agency - English (@WAFANewsEnglish) January 27, 2023
"We had tourists, Arabs and Jewish Israelis sitting outside dining when the group started chanting 'death to the Arabs, 'death to Christians,' 'Christians go back to Europe' and insulting Muhammad and Jesus. Our employees told them to leave and then (the group) started throwing chairs," said co-owner Miran Krikorian, who was at home nearby when the violence began and called the police as he rushed to the scene.
He said the attack continued for several minutes until the police arrived on the scene and pushed back the mob, detaining one of the rioters. He was told to file a complaint so he would not be released.
A day later, two Jewish extremists tried to obstruct the traffic on the Armenian Patriarchate street, then hit the car of Armenian young people returning home from work. The same day, another group of Jewish extremists, passing along the street tried to climb the roof of the Patriarchate and remove the flags of the Patriarchate and the Republic of Armenia.
Armenian Foreign Ministry denounced attacks.
We are deeply concerned by recent acts of violence and vandalism targeting Christian religious institutions in #Jerusalem including #Armenian Patriarchate and the Armenian residents of the Old City.
— Spokesperson of MFA of Armenia (@ArmSpoxMFA) January 30, 2023
Over the past three weeks, extremists have vandalized the Anglican cemetery on Mt. Zion, anti-Christian and anti-Arab graffiti was scrawled on the wall of the Armenian convent in the Armenian Quarter, and an Armenian priest was attacked.
