Jordan and the Palestinians Thursday issued a joint statement suspending their recognition of Nourhan Manougian as Patriarch of the Armenian Orthodox Church in Jerusalem, the Palestinian Territories and Jordan because of Manougian’s “dealings” with the real estate of the Armenian quarter in the Old City of Jerusalem. The statement noted that the two countries had decided to suspend their recognition following instructions from His Majesty King Abdullah II and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas after Manougian took real estate measures and deals that would affect the future of Jerusalem without agreement and consultation with the relevant parties. The decision, according to the statement, came after the “deal” related to the al-Bustan site known as the “Cow Garden” and its surroundings, which extends to the “Al-Qishla” building in Bab al-Khalil, which constitutes a large part of the Armenian quarter. Patriarch Manougian dismissed demands to stop measures that would impact the historical and legal status of historical sites, which would change their demographic and geographical nature.
Source: Jordan News Agency