BY APPO JABARIAN
Executive Publisher / Managing Editor
USA Armenian Life Magazine (English-language print edition)
USA Armenian Life E-Newsletter (Electronic Distribution — e-blast)
Hye Kiank Armenian Weekly (Armenian-language print edition)
USA Armenian LifeFACEBOOK
www.armenianlife.com
Last week, several Armenian media outlets around the world wrote about the mushrooming controversy over possible abuse of Armenian public trust by the leadership of the Jerusalem Armenian Patriarchate in a potentially shady lease deal on lands entrusted to the Patriarchate.
Many Armenians around the world fear that historic Armenian lands entrusted to the Patriarchate may even be subjected to secret and unauthorized indirect land sale agreements.
According to well-informed sources at the Jerusalem Armenian Patriarchate and the community of the Old City Armenian Quarter, Patriarch Arch. Nourhan Manougian and the Director of Real Estate Management Office of the Patriarchate Rev. Baret Yeretsian do not have authorization to make lease agreements for terms over 25 years without the approval of the Holy Synod.
Last week, during a USA Armenian Life TV program in United States, two investigative journalists – this writer and Mr. Vosgan Mekhitarian underlined the importance of transparency and accountability to the Armenian people pertaining to all dealings relating to the civic, political and Armenian religious organizations including The Catholicosate of the Holy See of Etchmiadzin, The Catholicosate of The Great House of Cilicia, the Jerusalem Armenian Patriarchate, The Constantinople Armenian Patriarchate, The Armenian Catholic Fathers’ Bzommar Seminary, Mekhitarist Fathers’ Order, and Armenian Evangelical institutions among others.
Why? Because, all the Armenian institutions and organizations are the recipients of financial support coming from all Armenians representing the entire political and civic spectrum and denominations of the Diaspora.
As such, it is the duty of the Free Press to help bring clarity on all financial dealings by each and every Armenian public entity such as the Jerusalem Armenian Patriarchate.
In recent several years, the Jerusalem Armenian Patriarchate has been involved in unclear financial dealings.
In order to shed light on the recent unwarranted lease of the “Goveroun Bardez” land in the Armenian Quarter of Jerusalem to the Municipality of Jerusalem, USA Armenian Life editorial team has sent a media inquiry to the Jerusalem Armenian Patriarchate and Dir. of real estate Rev. Yeretsian. Below is the text of the USA Armenian Life email.
Re: Request of a copy of the “Goveroun Bardez” land lease agreement; Dear Sir/Madame of Media Relations Dept. of Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem, In the wake of news coverage in Keghart.org and subsequent articles by Professor Andrew Demirdjian and Appo Jabarian in USA Armenian Life and Hye Kiank Armenian Weekly, an eruption of a major public interest occurred among the members of the American Armenian community — and for that matter the entire Diaspora. Therefore, it has become a necessity to share urgently with our readers a copy of the “Goveroun Bardez ” land lease agreement reportedly executed between the Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem and the municipality of Jerusalem and/or an Australian businessman. Can you kindly email ASAP a copy of the “Goveroun Bardez” land lease agreement?”
On Tuesday September 14, Rev. Yeretsian wrote to this author declining to provide a copy of the lease agreement:
“Greetings Mr. Jabarian, I listened to your and Vosgan’s program (USA Armenian Life TV program of Sept. 10, 2021). Unfortunately, I, personally, find the spirit and the presentation in your program inaccurate. Yes, we have given (the land) for 99 years and I did not know that we should receive permission from you.”
Rev. Yeretesian contradicts Arch Manougian’s assertion that the land lease is for only 25 years.
And as for the necessity of receiving permission from the Armenian people, the Jerusalem Armenian Patriarchate is a pan-Armenian national treasure because it has been and continues to be a recipient of pan-Armenian support. The Armenian nation deserves and rightfully demands accountability.
Rev. Yeretsian continued: “The patriarchate has been taking care of this issue for almost ten years and then it made its decision for the sole one reason: economic prosperity and security.The hotel will be handed over to the patriarchate after 99 years. A 99-year lease is a commercial transaction in all parts of the world, including America. I do not want to talk about these attacks because we are concerned about the prosperity of our Holy See. I would also like to draw your attention to the fact that my patriarchate does not sell land and does not intend to make such a deal. This is the reality. I leave you with the rest. This issue is closed for us.”
While Rev. Yeretsian falsely claims that “This issue is closed for” him, the controversy is far from being over.
In a Sept. 10 commentary titled “A Communiqué that doesn’t Communicate,” Keghart.org editorial team wrote: “On September 6, the Jerusalem Armenian Patriarchate issued a communiqué in response to Keghart.org’s September 1 editorial about the deplorable 99-year-lease which would see a hotel built at Goverooun Bardez at the strategic southwest corner of the Armenian Quarter by Australian developer Daniel Rubinstein. Unfortunately, the communique doesn’t add anything to our knowledge of the scandal and instead spreads a thick layer of obfuscation and misleading information. It hides the truth while pretending to impart it.”
Keghart.org continued: “The Keghart article began by accusing the Patriarchate of signing the crucial real estate deal in secrecy. The Patriarchate’s communique said the transaction was ‘no more secret than any other discreet affair and privileged information of the Patriarchate to any other person or entity.’ Keghart has no argument re the necessity of conducting business with a degree of secrecy. What Keghart objects to is a) the signing of the deal without obtaining the required green light from the Holy Synod; Keghart also objects to renting Armenian lands to a foreign entity for 99 years when it’s a fact that such long leases have a habit of becoming permanent change of ownership in Jerusalem.”
World Armenians strongly feel that all the Armenian entities including the twin republics of Armenia and Artsakh by default are pan-Armenian national treasures precisely because they are the recipients of pan-Armenian support.