Hosting Capitol Hill and Community Briefings by Save the ArQ Leaders Setrag Balian and Hagop Djernazian
WASHINGTON, DC – The Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) will host two events on Monday, January 27 – one at its headquarters (in-person and webcast) and the other on Capitol Hill – addressing the urgent threats to the Armenian Christian Quarter in Jerusalem’s Old City, a cornerstone of the Holy Land’s Christian heritage since the 4th century.
“The Future of Jerusalem’s Armenian Christian Quarter”
Read also
The briefings – part of a broader series of Eastern U.S. presentations – will feature insights from Setrag Balian and Hagop Djernazian, co-founders of the Save the ArQ initiative. Their movement has been at the forefront of defending the Armenian Quarter against the encroachments of developers and settler groups attempting to displace the ancient community. Balian and Djernazian will share firsthand accounts of the ongoing legal battle to prevent the privatization and commercialization of the quarter’s historic spaces, including the contested Cows’ Garden.
“Our Eastern U.S. tour gives us an opportunity to present the current situation in the Armenian Quarter of Jerusalem. We look forward to speaking with lawmakers and diplomats in D.C., New York, and Chicago about the community’s existential crisis. Protecting our millennia long Christian presence in the Old City is critical, and we thank our partners like the ANCA and other organizations that are working with us to raise awareness about our struggle,” stated Djernazian.
ANCA Policy Director Alex Galitsky explained, “The plight of Jerusalem’s Armenian Quarter is more than just a land dispute, it’s an existential struggle against a pattern of displacement and dispossession Armenians have faced across the region – from the ethnic cleansing of Artsakh to threats our community face throughout the Middle East today. At its core, this is a struggle for human rights, religious freedom, and the preservation of Jerusalem’s rich cultural tapestry threatened by settler violence and state-backed extremism.”
Setrag Balian is a fourth-generation descendant of the prominent Balian family, known for their role in establishing Armenian ceramics in Jerusalem. An activist and writer, he has studied economics in France and Armenia and ceramics in Spain. Balian has written extensively about the Armenian community in Jerusalem and is a vocal advocate for preserving its architectural and cultural heritage.
Hagop Djernazian, a resident of the Armenian Quarter, is a fourth-generation descendant of survivors of the Armenian Genocide. As a co-founder of Save the ArQ, Djernazian has played a pivotal role in raising awareness about the importance of safeguarding this historic and culturally significant Armenian land. He holds a degree in International Relations and Middle East Studies from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and is pursuing a second degree in law.
Khachkar Studios, which is investing $10+ million in strengthening Armenian Christian media and outreach in the US, is promoting the events through a targeted online ad campaign across the U.S.
Parallel to the events, the ANCA has launched a nationwide online action campaign – https://anca.org/ArmenianChristianQuarter – updating U.S. senators and representatives about the latest threats against Jerusalem’s Armenian Christian quarter and urging them to track any and all threats – legal, political, and physical – against the Armenian Quarter, to exercise close oversight of the Executive Branch stakeholders responsible for this region, and to seek clarity from the Israeli Embassy regarding the steps the Israeli government is taking to protect the ancient Armenian Christian presence in the Holy Land.
The Armenian Quarter has come under increasing threat due to an illegal 98-year lease agreement signed in 2021, which transferred control of key sites to Xana Capital, a company tied to settler organizations. This deal, orchestrated without community consent, sparked legal battles, public demonstrations, and acts of violence against Armenian residents.
The Armenian presence in Jerusalem dates back to Armenia’s adoption of Christianity as its national religion in 301 AD. Today, the Armenian Quarter is home to the St. James Monastery, one of Christianity’s oldest religious institutions. The quarter is not only a spiritual center but also a cultural and historic treasure recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Since 2020, efforts to forcibly alter the status quo have escalated. A report by Save the ArQ documented numerous violent incidents, including attacks on peaceful demonstrators and arrests of Armenian activists. The community has maintained a 24/7 vigil to protect the quarter, despite intimidation by armed groups linked to settler organizations.
The Capitol Hill briefing follows a similar event hosted by Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-TX) in January 2024, which brought international attention to these issues. Djernazian’s testimony during that briefing underscored the global implications of allowing such violations to go unchecked.
Armenian National Committee of America