A general view of a parking lot that is part of a contentious deal in the Armenian Quarter in the Old City of Jerusalem, Tuesday, May 30, 2023. The 99-year lease of some 25% of Jerusalem's Armenian Quarter has touched sensitive nerves in the Holy Land and sparked a controversy extending far beyond the Old City ramparts.
A real estate deal in Jerusalem's Old City, at the epicenter of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, has sent the historic Armenian community there into a panic. Residents search for answers about the apparent loss of their homes to a mysterious investor. The fallout from the 99-year lease of 25% of Jerusalem’s Armenian Quarter has forced the highest authority of the Armenian church to cloister himself in a convent and prompted a disgraced priest to flee to Southern California. In a dramatic move, Jordan and the Palestinian Authority have suspended recognition of the Armenian patriarch. The saga reflects real estate and political struggles that have long been a stand-in for the entire decadeslong Israeli-Palestinian conflict.